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I do love a good salad so it’s very convenient that my husband planted a ton of lettuce in our garden in early spring. The lettuce is still growing and since we’ve had plenty of rain and it hasn’t gotten hot, I think we’ll have lettuce for a little while longer. There is something so wonderful about going outside and picking dinner fresh from the garden. We don’t have tomatoes yet, but everything is coming up!
I read a post on a blog by Heather Christo for a chicken chopped salad and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. I borrowed her idea and basically cleaned out the produce drawer in the fridge.
I marinated three boneless, skinless chicken breasts in olive oil, fresh lemon juice and salt and pepper for 30 minutes then grilled until cooked through.
I picked and washed the lettuce and added some spinach I had in the fridge.
Then start chopping. I think celery, cucumbers, tomatoes and shallots are must have ingredients! That’s just my personal opinion because I like them all so much.
I also sliced the grilled chicken and added an avacado.
Lay the lettuce on top and chop all ingredients together.
Once mixed and chopped I added crumbled Feta cheese and sunflower seeds.
I did mix up a recipe of Heather’s original Basic Balsamic Dressing and we both loved it. I’ll make this again.
Drizzled with the homemade Balsamic dressing, this was the perfect weeknight dinner made with fresh ingredients.
The farmer’s market in our area is full of lettuce this time of year. Be sure to visit one if you can and buy local!
Chicken Chopped Salad with a Balsamic Dressing
Course: Main Course
A fresh vegetable chopped salad with chicken and homemade dressing.
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 head of fresh lettuce
- handful of assorted spring mix lettuce
- fresh spinach to taste
- 1 avacado
- 2 grilled chicken breasts I cooked 3 and saved one for later use
- grape tomatoes sliced
- celery diced
- 2 shallots sliced
- sunflower seeds
- crumbled Feta cheese
- 1 cucumber chopped
For the dressing:
- 2 small garlic cloves
- 2 heaping tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar
- 3 dashes worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the salad:
- Mix all ingredients together and chop into bite size pieces. Drizzle with dressing of your choice and serve.
For the dressing:
- Add all ingredients to a blender and turn on low until thick and well combined. Check seasoning and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Refrigerate.
Recipe Notes
- Chicken Chopped Salad inspired by a recipe posted on Heather Christo Cooks.
- Basic Balsamic Dressing by Heather Christo.
Nutrition
Calories: 2120kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 120g | Fat: 151g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g | Monounsaturated Fat: 103g | Cholesterol: 292mg | Sodium: 428mg | Potassium: 3387mg | Fiber: 24g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 3294IU | Vitamin C: 51mg | Calcium: 285mg | Iron: 10mg
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Have a terrific weekend! I think I may go strawberry picking and the weather is supposed to be nice.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Tricia
Moogie
This salad looks amazing! Often, I prefer a great over dessert.