Salad With Grilled Chicken, Lentils, And Peaches

Grilled peaches make them more juicy and sweet, making them the ideal complement to the grilled chicken and earthy French lentils in this warm, main-course salad for a summer dinner. Cooking dark green French lentils retains their form, making them perfect for use in salads and other dishes. They may be found in the bulk department of your local grocer.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (170g) French green lentils (lentils du puy)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons (37mL) olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 2 tablespoons (20g) shallots, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 small (6 ounce/170g) boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 large (6 ounce/170 g) stone peaches, halved and pitted
• 1/2 cup (12g) loosely packed basil leaves, torn
• 1/2 cup (12g) loosely packed mint leaves, torn

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, mix the lentils with 3 cups (710mL) of water and 1/2 teaspoon salt until the lentils are completely cooked. Bring to a boil, then lower to a low heat and cook for about 25 minutes, or until the lentils are barely soft. Drain.
2. Prepare a grill for medium heat while the lentils are cooking on the stovetop. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, the oil, the shallots, the vinegar, the mustard, the honey, the garlic, and the pepper. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the mixture in a medium-sized mixing bowl and toss with the chicken until well-coated; set the remaining dressing aside.
3. Place the chicken breasts and peach halves on the grill with the cut sides down. Cook until the chicken is cooked through (an instant-read thermometer put into the thickest portion of the chicken will register 165°F/74°C when inserted into the thickest section), approximately 5 minutes on each side. Cook the peaches for 5 minutes, or until they are charred on the sliced side and somewhat softened. Transfer the mixture to a chopping board and let it aside for 5 minutes. Cut the chicken into thin slices and the peaches into bite-size pieces before assembling the dish.
4. Distribute the heated lentils across four dinner dishes. Place the chicken and peaches on top of the salad and serve. 1 1/2 teaspoons of the remaining dressing should be drizzled over each salad after it has been topped with the herbs. Warm the dish before serving.

Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 1/4 of the lentils, 1 chicken breast, 1/2 peach, 1/4 cup herbs, 1 1/2 tablespoons dressing

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 258; Total Fat: 10g; Saturated Fat: 2g; Monounsaturated Fat: 7g; Cholesterol: 44mg; Sodium: 465mg; Carbohydrate: 26g; Dietary Fiber: 8g; Sugar: 14g; Protein: 19g