Tropical Salad with Kiwifruit Honey Dressing

Recipe courtesy of ZESPRI™ Kiwifruit.

Recipe Ingredients:

7 ounces asparagus
2 firm bananas
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 head crisp lettuce (iceberg or buttercrunch), washed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 papaya, peeled, seeds removed and sliced into wedges
11 ounces skinless and sliced double smoked chicken or turkey breast
1 large ripe but firm avocado, halved and sliced
7 ounces bacon (optional)

For Honey Dressing:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 kiwifruit

Cooking Directions:

1. Cook the bacon (if using) until crisp, drain, cool, and cut into bite-size pieces.
2. Trim the asparagus and blanch 3 minutes in boiling water. Drain, rinse with cold water and pat dry. Cut into short lengths.
3. Peel the bananas, slice thinly lengthwise and put them on a plate. Squeeze lemon juice over banana pieces and toss gently.
4. To Make the Dressing: Whisk the oil with the lemon juice, honey, salt and a little black pepper in a small bowl. Cut kiwifruit into halves and spoon out all but one into chunks to purée in a food processor. Add the puréed kiwifruit to the bowl of dressing and blend together. Peel the remaining kiwifruit and slice into rounds for garnishing.
5. To Assemble the Salad: Arrange the lettuce, asparagus, bananas, papaya, chicken/turkey breast and avocado on a platter. Garnish with sliced kiwifruit, and the bacon, and sprinkle the dressing over the dish. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe and photograph courtesy of ZESPRI™ Kiwifruit.