Chicken, Mango and Avocado Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Recently I was asked to review some wines, courtesy of The Wine Bar.   I know what you're thinking. Tough job, but someone has to do it.  I  picked out three wines to try.

Usually I prefer white wine over red wine as I like fruity and light wines. My husband prefers a more full body wine and usually sticks with a red.   So I decided on Butterfly Kiss Pino Grigio, Once Upon a Vine Sauvignon Blanc and Stellina Di Notte Chianti.

With summer right around the corner, I am dreaming of sitting on the patio with a chilled glass of white wine, a few appetizers and a refreshing salad in front of me. I thought the Butterfly Kiss Pino Grigio would be perfect for this atmosphere.  This crisp white wine was fruity and sweet. I tasted citrus and hints of mango so I thought it would pair well with this Chicken, Mango and Avocado Salad I made.   It was exactly what I wanted. I can' t wait to drink more on a warm summer's evening.  I think it would fare well with any type of light fish or chicken dish but I am planning on serving it next time with a nice cheese and fruit platter.

Next up was Once Upon A Vine Sauvignon Blanc. This was another refreshing crisp wine. With this wine, I thought the citrus and lemon overtones were a bit stronger and I tasted only some other subtle peach flavors. This was another wine that would pair well with any light dish such as a lemony pasta dish, fish or chicken.

Now it was time for the more manly wine. The Stellina Di Notte Chianti was much more full bodied but it still had a nice fruity aroma and went down smooth. It did have some spicy after tones which I loved. This is the perfect wine to serve with some of the pasta dishes I cook.  I like cooking pasta with spicy sauces and we had this with some Roasted Tomato Sauce which I added meat to turn into a nice Bolognese sauce. I thought it would be fun to serve this wine next time with Mini Lasagna Cups if we have company.

The great news is that all three wines are under $15. Have you checked out The Wine Bar yet?  The site is wonderful as you can find recipes and food pairings for dozens of their wines. You can also find out where to purchase these wines. While you are at it, check out The Wine Bar Facebook page too. It's a fun page where you can "hang out" with other wine and food lovers.

What's your favorite type of wine?

RECIPE

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Chicken, Mango and Avocado Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette and Wine Review

This salad is perfect for lunch or a light dinner.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Fresh American

Servings: 2

Author: Jersey Girl Cooks (Lisa Grant)

Ingredients

• 6 cups baby greens mesclun mix
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 2 TBS finely chopped onion
• 1 cup already cooked chicken breast can be grilled or roasted
• 1 cup chopped peeled mango
• 1 avocado peeled and sliced
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juicer
• salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Instructions

• Mix together baby greens, cilantro and onion. Place the greens mixture on a large plate.
• Mix together chicken and mango.
• Top greens with chicken mixture and place avocado slices around the salad. Whisk together oil and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the salad with the oil mixture and serve.

Notes

This salad is great served with a crisp glass of white wine.

**For full disclosure, I was given complimentary bottles of wine from The Wine Bar along with a gift certificate to purchase ingredients to make this recipe.  As usual, all opinions are my own.