Lemon chicken salad full of good things

Dear Sister posted this recipe on Pinterest and it looked so good that I couldn’t help but add the ingredients to my next grocery list. I’m glad I did! It was absolutely delicious and felt very refreshing while still being in season. I would omit the shallot next time, as mine was pretty strong, and I added a bit of honey in the dressing. Note that while cara cara oranges would be excellent, you can also make this with regular oranges or maybe even blood oranges.

For the chicken marinade
⅓ cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
juice of one half of a lemon
½ tsp. salt

For the salad
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cara cara oranges, peeled and cut into pieces (segments or rounds)
1 avocado, cut into slices
½ cup pomegranate arils
2 cups spinach, torn or cut into small pieces
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 shallot, thinly sliced (see note above)
a handful of chopped fresh herbs like parsley or mint (I used mint)

For the dressing
3 tablespoons mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
1-2 Tbsp. champagne vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)
2 tsp. Dijon mustard, or other grainy mustard
salt, pepper, and/or honey to taste (I recommend all three)

Whisk marinade ingredients together. Place in a bowl with the chicken, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes (while prepping other stuff) or as long as 2 hours.

Whisk the dressing ingredients together. (I like to put them all in a jar and shake the dressing together to emulsify it.)

Heat the oil in a pan or pre-heat a griddle. Discard extra marinade from chicken and grill the chicken pieces until cooked through. Let stand for a few minutes to cool before cutting.

Toss all other salad ingredients, including chicken, together with the dressing before serving.