This hearty chicken and pesto salad incorporates Mediterranean flavors with fresh vegetables, lean chicken breast and a delicious salad dressing.
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🥘 Ingredients
You will need chicken breasts, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, lettuce or mixed leafy greens and feta cheese for this recipe.
For the pesto vinaigrette you will also need pesto, olive oil and apple cider vinegar.
💡 TIP! As with any salad, you can add or omit any ingredients to suit your preferences. Try making this salad with olives, fresh mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes or peppers.
🔪 Instructions
Start by preparing the chicken breasts. Season the fillets with salt, pepper and olive oil. Bake them in the oven at 190 C / 175 C fan oven / 375 F until they are cooked through.
Use a meat thermometer to check that the chicken is finished baking. Chicken is safe to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 75 C / 165 F.
Add the greens, diced cucumber, halved plum or cherry tomatoes, finely sliced red onions and feta cheese to bowls. Top it with sliced chicked breast, and coat the salad in pesto vinaigrette.
👪 Serving size
This recipe makes 4 servings. Estimate one chicken breast and a handful of each vegetable, plus a tablespoon of dressing per portion.
🥗 Serving suggestions
This chicken and pesto salad is well suited to be served as a main course for lunch or a light dinner.
Serve it as is, or with a side of crusty bread.
💡 TIP! This recipe is perfect for using leftover chicken. Got leftover grilled chicken breast or lemon pepper chicken? Turn them into salad!
🍲 Storing leftovers
Leftover chicken and pesto salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
If you plan on preparing this salad ahead of time, I recommend storing the ingredients separately, and only combining them right before serving it.
💭 Top tips for the best result
- The chicken is the main part of this salad, so be careful to cook it right! I season mine with salt and pepper, and allow the pesto vinaigrette to add some flavor, but you can cook yours in other seasoning if you want.
- Allow the chicken to cool down slightly before adding it to the salad. This will prevent the lettuce from wilting from the heat.
📋 Frequently asked questions
Is this allergy friendly? – This salad is typically egg free, soy free and gluten free. Make sure to read the label of the pesto to ensure it’s suitable for your dietary requirements.
Is this salad vegan? – No. As it contains chicken and feta cheese, it is not. If you want to make a vegan version, you can omit the cheese and replace the chicken with something else, like sauteed mushrooms or roasted cauliflower.
More hearty salads
- Smoked salmon and quinoa salad
- Tuna nicoise
- Pasta salad with roasted brussels sprouts and bacon
- Quinoa and black bean salad with avocado
- Tuna and bulgur salad with chickpeas
Recipe
Chicken and pesto salad
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breast fillets
- 1 English cucumber
- 500 g cherry tomatoes
- 200 g feta cheese
- 1 red onion
- mixed leafy greens (or lettuce)
Pesto vinaigrette
- 2 tbsp pesto
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Start by preparing the chicken breasts. Season the fillets with salt, pepper and olive oil. Bake them in the oven at 190 C / 175 C fan oven / 375 F until they are cooked through.
- Use a meat thermometer to check that the chicken is finished baking. Chicken is safe to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 75 C / 165 F.
- Add the greens, diced cucumber, halved plum or cherry tomatoes, finely sliced red onions and feta cheese to bowls. Top it with sliced chicked breast.
- Mix the pesto, olive oil and apple cider vinegar in a small container or a bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the salat, and serve.
Notes
🔪 INSTRUCTIONS
Start by preparing the chicken breasts. Season the fillets with salt, pepper and olive oil. Bake them in the oven at 190 C / 175 C fan oven / 375 F until they are cooked through. Use a meat thermometer to check that the chicken is finished baking. Chicken is safe to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 75 C / 165 F. Add the greens, diced cucumber, halved plum or cherry tomatoes, finely sliced red onions and feta cheese to bowls. Top it with sliced chicked breast, and coat the salad in pesto vinaigrette.👪 SERVING SIZE
This recipe makes 4 servings. Estimate one chicken breast and a handful of each vegetable, plus a tablespoon of dressing per portion.🥗 SERVING SUGGESTIONS
This chicken and pesto salad is well suited to be served as a main course for lunch or a light dinner. Serve it as is, or with a side of crusty bread. 💡 TIP! This recipe is perfect for using leftover chicken. Got leftover grilled chicken breast or lemon pepper chicken? Turn them into salad!🍲 STORING LEFTOVERS
Leftover chicken and pesto salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. If you plan on preparing this salad ahead of time, I recommend storing the ingredients separately, and only combining them right before serving it.💭 TOP TIPS FOR THE BEST RESULT
- The chicken is the main part of this salad, so be careful to cook it right! I season mine with salt and pepper, and allow the pesto vinaigrette to add some flavor, but you can cook yours in other seasoning if you want.
- Allow the chicken to cool down slightly before adding it to the salad. This will prevent the lettuce from wilting from the heat.
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