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Spinach Salad with Chicken, Pistachios, Tortellini and Garlic Vinaigrette Dressing

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Submitted by: lesleychef

 

Spinach, tortellini pasta, cubes of cooked chicken, toasted pistachio nuts, crumbled feta cheese, cooked bacon, and a dressing of garlic, vinegar, oil, seasonings plus a little coarse-grained mustard are tossed together.
 

Ingredients

  • Garlic Vinaigrette Dressing:
  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse grain mustard
  • Salad Mixture:
  • 1 1-pound bag fresh spinach
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped pistachios
  • 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
  • 2 red pears or apples (do not peel)
  • Juice and grated peel of 1 lemon
  • 4 ounces feta cheese
  • 4 slices bacon, cooked, drained reserving fat & crumbled
  • Salt
  • White pepper
  • 1 package tortellini pasta, any variety, cooked and drained
  • Chicken:
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in cubes
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Salt
  • Black pepper

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Method

Dressing: Mix the vinegar, oil, garlic, basil, marjoram, cumin, and mustard in a cruet or in small bowl with whisk. Reserve. Salad Mixture: Trim the spinach leaves of their stems and rinse them of any sand. Drain as much of the water off as possible. Cut or tear the spinach leaves into bite size pieces and put them in a large salad bowl. Toast the pistachios lightly in a small skillet, allow to cool slightly and add them to the spinach. Slice the olives and make sure there are no pits. Add the olives to the salad mixture along with pistachios. Core and seed the pears or apples. Cut them into cubes. Sprinkle and toss them with the juice and zest of 1 lemon and add them to the salad mixture. Crumble the feta cheese and bacon; add to the salad mixture. Add salt and pepper if desired. Mix well. Cook the chicken cubes in 2 Tbsp of the bacon fat and the 2 cloves garlic just until done. Add to pasta. Add dressing and toss.

 

Notes:

 

Number of Servings: 4 to 6

 

Submitted by: lesleychef ()

 

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