Healthy Tangy Chicken Balsamic Salad
Let’s be honest- I don’t create wonderfully delicious salads on a daily basis. But when I find a new recipe that includes ingredients I’m fond of and willing to mix together into one light, crisp, fresh, delicious ensemble of love on a calorie budget – I share it with my friends. Because that’s what friends do.
I don’t have much else to say other than this salad was DELICIOUS and I stored in the fridge to eat for leftovers the next day. Note – I stored the chicken in a separate container and did not put dressing on the salad until I was ready to eat so the lettuce wouldn’t get soggy. Here’s the recipe and some shots of prep/ingredients:
- 1 package of chicken tenders (boneless, skinless)
- Olive Oil
- Salt, pepper, lemon pepper seasoning
- 1/2 cup chopped green apple
- 1/2 cup seedless red grapes, cut in half
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (I used freeze-dried basil)
- A drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing (see below)
- 8 cups shredded romaine lettuce
Cook the chicken tenders in olive oil on medium heat in a skillet with the lid shut. Add the salt, pepper and lemon pepper spices after turning the chicken once. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, flip 3-4 times. Once the chicken is not longer pink in the middle, pull out and set on a plate with a paper towel to soak up some of the excess olive oil. For the best texture, be careful not to overcook the chicken. I was able to pull apart the chicken tenders with a fork as if it were rotisserie chicken. While the chicken was cooking, I washed and chopped the lettuce and put in a large bowl. Then I sliced the apple, grapes, green onion and basil. Toss all chopped/sliced ingredients into the bowl and add the almonds. Let the chicken cool for about 5 minutes. Add chicken to the top and drizzle on the salad dressing-whichever dressing you desire and as much as you want. I chose balsamic vinaigrette, but the recipe called for a light honey mustard (pic of my dressing below – only 30 calories per serving). You can refrigerate the chicken for an hour and serve on top of the salad cold – either way works, whichever you prefer. I ate mine while the chicken was still warm and it was simply fantastic.