Chicken Salad With Papaya, Red Pepper And Pecans

Total Time: 25 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 8 cups romaine lettuce, torn up (or mixed greens)
• 2 medium ripe papayas, peeled, seeded and cut up into cubes
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 2-inch thin slices
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh lovage, stems and leaves, minced (optional)
• 3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken, cooked, cut into bite size pieces (read *note) or 3/4 lb firm tofu (read *note)
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh chicken broth or 2 tablespoons vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon clover honey, softened
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (i prefer elephant garlic for a milder flavor)
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, to taste
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

Recipe

• 1 *note: substitute 1 pound firm tofu for the chicken. remove excess water by weighing down the tofu under a heavy pan. grill the tofu with a little bit of cooking oil and proceed with recipe as indicated.
• 2 combine the lettuce, papaya, bell pepper scallions and lovage in a large serving bowl.
• 3 in a glass measuring cup whisk together the lime juice, broth, honey, garlic and mustard. slowly add the olive oil by pouring into the measuring cup and whisking until blended. adjust seasonings, adding a bit of salt and pepper.
• 4 pour the salad dressing over the salad, toss gently, then add the chicken and toss some more. top salad with 2 tablespoons of the toasted pecans and serve the remaining pecans on side as garnish.