Copycat Recipe From Blue Lemon

I knew it the first moment I tried it. I would never be able to order something else at Blue Lemon again. It was perfection! Creamy avocado, sweet mango, the tangy mint lime dressing on a bed of tender spinach with delicious chicken. Mmm please, could I ask for anything more?

Neal and I were frequent eaters at Blue Lemon (before we moved to Logan). We loved that spot because the quality of food is like ?and that’s where Neal took me on our first date.

Flashback to April  2015, a few days before we went on our first date Neal called me to get a feel for the type of food I like, he suggested going to Blue Lemon based on what I said. I had heard it was a little pricier so I told him he couldn’t take me there and he wasn’t allowed to spend more than $7 on me for a lunch date (sheesh I was stingy with our finances even before we got married, haha). When he met me for the date he told me he ignored my instructions and still wanted to take me to the Blue Lemon (good job Neal, that was an appropriate time to be disobedient 😉

It was a lightly drizzly day as Neal and I walked to the restaurant. He gave me his jacket and an umbrella so I could stay warm (*swoon, what a gent!). We ordered our food and just talked and talked. It was so comfortable chatting and for the first time ever while on a date, I finished all my food! And boy was it tasty!

Neal and I began steadily dating a few weeks later and the Blue Lemon became our spot. The second time we went I ordered the mango mint salad, and I was never the same! I have ordered it every time since then including the night he proposed to me! Basically this salad is my favorite thing both because it tastes wonderful and because it makes me weepy with tender memories.

Oh, I am feeling so sappy as I write this! I have such a romantic husband 🙂

Well since we don’t live near blue lemon anymore, it became my quest to create a copycat recipe! I still need me that food! After a lot of research (and failing to find anyone who had already made a copycat) I created this recipe. It is super simple but sure to impress! Here’s how to make it.

Recipe:

Mint Lime Dressing

• 2 limes
• 1 packed Tbsp fresh mint minced
• 1 Tbsp of a natural liquid sweetener (agave is what I had on hand but honey would work too)
• 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil
• A pinch of ginger powder
• A pinch of salt

The Salad

• 2 C. washed spinach
• 1 mango
• 1 avocado
• 6-8oz of boiled chicken
• Optional: pickled onions on top (I like the flavor but I just never have them on hand so I just left them out. I found a recipe to make them quickly here)

I would start the dressing first so the flavors have a little bit longer to marinate together (or you could just make the dressing the day before.

Cut the limes and squeeze the juice out (a good trick is to roll them back and forth before you cut them. The juice will come out easier). Next mince the mint so you don’t get any huge chunks in your salad. Then add the sweetener, oil, and ginger. Stir or shake to combine flavors and put in the fridge until the rest is done.

Boil your chicken (if you don’t like boiled chicken you can just saute it in a bit of oil on med-high heat with a hint of salt). Allow it to cool then slice it as you prefer. Next cut the mango, I just peeled slices off with a vegetable peeler but you can cube it or cut it in strips. Then cut the avocado to your liking.

Lay a bed of spinach down. Top it with the chicken, mango, and avocado (and onions if you’d like). Then add the dressing. And there you go!

 

I hope you enjoy this little sentimental piece of my heart 🙂 I’m sure you’ll love the taste!

 

Xo,

Aubrea (the Noob)

 

Ps. Be sure to pin this recipe for easy access! Let me know how it goes in the comments or tag me on social media so I can see! 🙂