Since I’ve been eating so much cake lately (this Lemon Sheet Cake, this Coconut Sheet Cake, and Chocolate Sheet Cake) I thought I’d better get some salad in my diet to help balance things out. Really, I actually love salads so I make them all the time. It’s one of the easiest ways to pack veggies into your diet and make them taste good. Plus, I do eat cake or some other type of dessert far more often than I should so I really do need a lot of salads in my life to help balance things out a little.
Grilled Chicken Chopped Salad
This Grilled Chicken Chopped Salad could fall under a Greek salad or Italian salad, it tastes like either or. If you wanted it to be like a traditional Italian salad you could add in some salami or pepperoni but I wanted it to be a little bit healthier so I didn’t add either of those.
Italian Salad Dressing
I love that this dressing is a slightly creamy vinaigrette thanks to the light mayo in it. The great thing here is that you’ll likely have some leftover dressing for a lunch salad the next day! You can adjust this dressing to your personal taste, like more red wine vinegar or a quick whisk of some Dijon mustard for a more tangy flavor.
Italian Chopped Salad Ingredients
If you want to add more flavor to your grilled chicken you can definitely add more seasonings to it, for something like this I generally just add onion powder, garlic powder, salt, oregano, and pepper. Red pepper flakes will make it a little more spicy. Fresh basil torn or shredded as a garnish gives you that perfectly Italian taste. Ramp up your protein with garbanzo beans or chickpeas. Add more crunch with radicchio and crispy bacon bits. Sprinkle mozzarella or provolone cheese for a creamy angle. If you want to make the ingredient list shorter you can omit some of the ingredients and still have an amazing salad. I’d say the olives, croutons, and red onions are optional, and of course, the peppers, leave everything else and you’ll still have a wonderfully filling and delicious salad!
