Chicken and wild rice salad with cranberry dressing
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
Chicken and wild rice salad with cranberry dressing
Usually confined to the turkey-laden Christmas table – or Thanksgiving table, if you’re from the US – a jar of cranberry sauce is one of the most versatile ingredients you can have in the fridge. Here, we’ve blended it into a sharp-sweet dressing to give a hearty seasonal salad a festive lift. If you like, double the recipe and pile it high on a platter to add to a buffet table.
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
Nell Gordon-Hall
Our food producer Nell’s cooking is rooted in the bold and fresh flavours of the Middle East and Mediterranean. Trained in professional kitchens and with a background in food styling, she understands exactly how to make food taste delicious and look great. The kitchen is where she works and – just as often – where she unwinds.
Nell Gordon-Hall
Our food producer Nell’s cooking is rooted in the bold and fresh flavours of the Middle East and Mediterranean. Trained in professional kitchens and with a background in food styling, she understands exactly how to make food taste delicious and look great. The kitchen is where she works and – just as often – where she unwinds.
Ingredients
- 1 x 320g pack chicken breast fillets
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 x 200g pack cavolo nero
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 x 250g pouch Merchant Gourmet Wholegrain Brown, Red and Wild Rice
- 2 tbsp dried cranberries
- 20g almonds, roughly chopped
For the cranberry vinaigrette
- 2 tbsp cranberry sauce
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
Step by step
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Put the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of baking paper, and use a rolling pin to bash to a 1.5-2cm thickness. Heat a griddle or frying pan over a medium-high heat. Brush the chicken with the olive oil, then season and add to the hot pan. Griddle for 5-7 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Remove from the pan, set aside to rest and cool slightly.
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Meanwhile, remove and discard the thick stalks from the cavolo nero, then roughly chop the leaves. Add to a large serving bowl with the lemon zest and juice and a generous pinch of salt. Scrunch the kale well with your hands, then set aside to allow the leaves to soften a little. Meanwhile, heat the rice to pack instructions, then set aside to cool for a few minutes.
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For the cranberry vinaigrette, put all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth and emulsified.
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Add the rice, dried cranberries and most of the dressing to the kale. Toss to combine then divide between bowls. Cut the chicken into bite-size chunks and scatter over the top. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve topped with the almonds.
