tomato marinated chicken and corn salad

There are just certain things that scream 4th of July to me. Grilled food, corn and sweet ripe tomatoes. This dish is so bright and tasty, it reminds me of a summer day. It's good both hot and cold, and I even like it with hot chicken on top of chilled salad. So delish. So light. Such a perfect dinner for a hot summer Savannah night! This could very easily be a vegetarian dish- remove the bacon and chicken and this salad is still delicious. The bacon just adds a bit of smoky-ness, and the chicken marinate- WOW!

The vinagrette that marinades the chicken is made with such simple things like cherry tomatoes, lemon juice, garlic, oil, vinegar, onion and salt and pepper. So easy. So fresh. Soooo delish.

This is the finished marinade. Half goes on the chicken, the rest gets set aside for a little while.

Let the chicken marinade for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, boil your orzo and corn to get ready to assemble the salad. Also, you'll want to cook up the bacon for the salad, too.

Loooove corn. Especially fresh corn. You can use canned corn, but why would you want to?

Mix together the orzo, corn and bacon. Let everything cool down and add your vegetables.

Cucumbers, onion and sliced cherry tomatoes just need drizzled with the remaining marinade. Maybe a little extra olive oil and lemon if you so please.

This is good just as it is. Just to top it off and put it over the edge, it's chicken time.

While the salad is jiving, grill and slice up the chicken. Top onto the salad and then devour. The leftovers are even better.

Tomato Marinated Chicken and Corn Salad
Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats!
1 lb chicken breast or tenders
3/4 cup orzo, cooked
2 ears worth of fresh corn, cooked
1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup onion, chopped
4 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 cup cucumber, chopped
Salt and pepper

For the marinade:
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 clove garlic
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 cup onion, chopped
Salt and pepper

In a blender or food processor, combine together all the ingredients listed for the marinade. Pulse into fully smooth. Marinade chicken breast in 6 tablespoons of the sauce for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine together the cooked corn, orzo, tomatoes, onion, bacon, cucumber and salt and pepper. Stir remaining marinade into the salad and allow to merry. Grill marinaded chicken until no longer pink. Serve hot chicken with the cooled salad and enjoy!