Chicken and bacon salad with sweet chilli beetroot, new potatoes and an orange and walnut dressing

The aromatic taste of sweet chilli infused beetroot is wonderful tossed through this salad which makes for a substantial lunch or light supper.

Serves: 4 as a main course salad

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

You’ll need for the dressing:

Juice and 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 and freshly ground black pepper

75g walnuts, roughly chopped

For the salad:

500g new potatoes, thickly sliced

300g long stem broccoli, cut into 3-4cm pieces

2 large chicken breasts, skinless and boneless

1 tbsp olive oil

8 slices smoked streaky bacon

2 x 200g sweet chilli beetroot, cut into wedges

80g bag baby salad leaves

80g bag rocket

What to do:

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.

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 broccoli and cook for a further two minutes. Drain well and add to the dressing in the bowl whilst still hot, tossing to mix.

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 four to five 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.

Finally, add the beetroot and leaves and lightly toss to mix before serving immediately.

Recipe from lovebeetroot.co.uk