Grilled Balsamic Chicken Salad
Scramble recipe tester Jennifer Doig and her family rated this meal 5 stars! Even if your kids don’t like salad, your whole family can enjoy this wonderful meal. Non-salad eaters can eat each component separately, while the adults can enjoy the salad in its entirety.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. boneless chicken breasts, or use pre-cooked grilled chicken strips or 15 oz. drained and rinsed kidney beans or chickpeas
- 1/2 cup light balsamic vinaigrette dressing store-bought or homemade (see recipe below)
- 1 yellow bell pepper cut into 4 large pieces
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 6 - 8 oz. mixed salad greens
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue or Gorgonzola cheese
- 1/4 cup glazed or plain walnuts coarsely chopped
- 1 tomato chopped
Instructions
- Lay the chicken breasts in a single layer in a dish with sides. Pour 1/4 cup of the dressing on them, flip them several times to coat, and marinate them while the grill heats up, or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. (If you use pre-cooked chicken or beans, you can marinate that and then toss it directly into the salad when ready to serve.) Reserve the remaining dressing for the salad.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. (Alternatively, you can cook the chicken and peppers over medium heat in a grill pan or cast iron skillet with 1 Tbsp. olive or vegetable oil in the pan.)
- Brush both sides of the peppers with the oil.
- Reserving the marinade, remove the chicken from the dish and grill the chicken and peppers for about 5 minutes per side, flipping once and brushing the chicken with the reserved marinade, until the peppers are lightly browned on the outside and the chicken is no longer pink in the center.
- Watch the peppers carefully and remove them before they blacken. Discard any remaining marinade and transfer the cooked chicken and peppers to a clean cutting board.
- Meanwhile, put the lettuce, cheese, walnuts and tomatoes in a large serving bowl. Slice the chicken and peppers into thin strips, and cut the strips into 1-inch pieces. Add them to the salad in the bowl. Toss the salad thoroughly with the reserved dressing and serve it immediately.
Slow Cooker Directions
- Slice the chicken and peppers into thin strips. Combine the chicken, peppers and 1/4 cup dressing in the slow cooker and cook on low for 5 - 6 hours or on high for 2 1/2 - 3 hours, until the chicken is cooked through. Combine the lettuce, cheese, walnuts and tomatoes in a large serving bowl. Remove the chicken and peppers with a slotted spoon and toss them with the prepared salad. (Slow cooker cooking times may vary—Get to know your slow cooker and, if necessary, adjust cooking times accordingly.)
Notes
Do Ahead or Delegate: Make the marinade if preparing your own and marinate the chicken in the refrigerator, cut the bell pepper, crumble the cheese if necessary and refrigerate, chop the walnuts if necessary, chop the tomato.
Scramble Flavor Booster: Top the salad with freshly ground black pepper.
Tip: To make orange balsamic vinaigrette dressing, thoroughly whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/8 cup orange juice, 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar and 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard. Add 1 Tbsp. of chopped fresh herbs, if desired.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (% based upon daily values): Calories 310, Total Fat: 17g, 26%; Saturated Fat: 4g, 18%; Cholesterol: 70mg, 23%; Sodium: 570mg, 24%; Total Carbohydrate: 10g, 3%; Dietary Fiber: 2g, 8%; Sugar: 6g; Protein: 31g
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