Chicken & bacon salad with juniperberry beetroot

The aromatic taste of juniperberry & black pepper-infused beetroot is wonderful tossed through this salad which makes for a substantial lunch or light supper.

• Preparation: 10 mins
• Cooking: 20 mins
• Serves: 4

What you need:

For the dressing

• Juice & zest of a small orange
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• A pinch of soft brown sugar, to taste
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 75g walnuts, roughly chopped

For the salad:

• 500g new potatoes, thickly sliced
• 300g Tenderstem, cut into 3-4cm pieces
• 2 large chicken breasts, skinless & boneless
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 8 slices smoked streaky bacon
• 2 x 200g Juniperberry & Black Pepper beetroot, cut into wedges
• 80g bag baby salad leaves
• 80g bag rocket

What you do:

1. First, make the dressing by whisking together the orange juice and zest with the mustard and sherry vinegar in a large mixing bowl (big enough to toss the salad in). Drizzle in the olive oil, whisking all the time, until the dressing has emulsified. Season to taste with brown sugar, salt and pepper then stir through the walnuts and set aside for the flavours to develop.
2. Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil and add the potatoes. Cook for 10-15 minutes until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. When the potatoes are nearly ready, add the Tenderstem and cook for a further 2 minutes. Drain well and add to the dressing in the bowl whilst still hot, tossing to mix.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan until hot. Flatten the chicken breasts a little and season with a little salt and pepper, then fry for about 4-5 minutes on each side until cooked through. Remove, set aside to cool a little then slice on the diagonal. Add the bacon to the frying pan and fry until crisp. Roughly chop. Add the chicken and bacon to the bowl and toss together.
4. Finally, add the beetroot and leaves and lightly toss to mix before serving immediately.

Cook's tip:

Juniperberry and black pepper beetroot can be purchased from Sainsbury's, or choose a different flavour from the infused beetroot ready-to-eat range, which includes Spicy Sweet and Fiery Beetroot (Tesco Finest), Sweet Chilli Rosebud Beetroot (M&S), Red Wine Vinegar & Orange Blossom Honey Beetroot (M&S), Sweetfire Beetroot Wedges (Waitrose), Juniper & Black Pepper in Red Wine Vinegar Baby Beetroot (Morrisons), Lime Zest Baby Beetroot (Waitrose) , Juniperberry & Black Pepper Cocktail, Beetroot (Sainsbury's Taste the Difference), Sweetflame Beetroot (Sainsbury's Taste the Difference), Honey & Ginger Baby Beetroot (Asda)

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