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Honey Orange Chicken Salad with Butternut Squash, Spinach, and Grapes 

Honey Orange Chicken Salad with Butternut Squash, Spinach, and Grapes 

Healthy Recipes

Overview

Meal: Lunch 
Dietary Type: Omnivore    
Prep Time: 15 minutes 
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4 



The Dish
This super easy salad recipe makes for a delicious and filling take-to-work lunch. A simple dressing (made using orange juice, orange zest, honey, red wine vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil) serves a dual purpose in this recipe. One, as a quick marinade for the chicken and butternut squash, and two, as the vinaigrette for the finished salad. Red grapes add a nice touch of bright sweetness and crisp texture. 

Hacking this Recipe: When planning out your shopping list for the week, one whole orange provides enough juice and zest for this recipe. The dressing can be made days in advance. The chicken and butternut squash can also be cooked and chilled the night before, making salad assembly extra easy when packing your lunch. 

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Ingredients
Dressing:
1/2 cup (118 ml) orange juice 
1/8 cup (13 g) orange zest 
2 tablespoons (30 ml) red wine vinegar 
1/4 cup (59 ml) honey 
1/4 cup (59 ml) extra virgin olive oil 
1/2 teaspoon (2 g) salt 
1/4 teaspoon (.5 g) black pepper 

Salad:
12o z (400 g) boneless skinless chicken breasts 
3 cups (350 g) butternut squash, peeled and cubed 
5 oz (142 g) baby spinach 
2 cups (300 g) red grapes, cut in half

Preparation 

  • Preheat oven to 400°F or 200°C. 
  • In a medium bowl, combine orange juice, orange zest, red wine vinegar, honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper, whisk until blended. 
  • Place chicken breasts and butternut squash on a large baking sheet, keeping the chicken and butternut squash on separate halves of the sheet. 
  • Drizzle half of the dressing over the chicken and squash, reserving the remaining dressing for serving with the salad. 
  • Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the squash is tender. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Once cooled, slice or dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces. 
  • Divide spinach between plates or bowls and top with chicken, butternut squash, and grapes. Drizzle with reserved dressing right before serving. 

Vegetarian and Vegan Modifications: Tofu is a great substitution for the chicken in this recipe (and bake following the same instructions). Feel free to substitute agave for honey as well. 

Gluten-Free Modifications: N/A