Composed Chicken Salad with Garlic Vinaigrette

This composed chicken salad is a perfect lunch or dinner meal. It is attractive to look at and delicious and healthy to eat. This salad comes together in about 15 minutes and is a complete meal.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 25

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Calories 459 kcal

Equipment

10-inch non-stick skillet
Small mixing bowl
Blender or immersion blender
Large serving platter
Sharp Chef’s Knife
Cutting board

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients

1 medium cucumber sliced
4 medium artichoke hearts canned or jarred (about 1/2 cup / 120g), drained and quartered
1 cup cherry tomatoes halved, about 150g
1 cup fennel sliced
¼ medium purple onion sliced and broken into circles
5 oz mixed salad greens washed and dried, about 140g
1 pinch salt
1 medium lemon cut into wedges for serving

Herbed Chicken Breast Ingredients

2 pieces chicken breasts thin-sliced, about 6 oz / 170g each
2 teaspoons fresh thyme minced, about 6–8 sprigs
1 tablespoon fresh chives minced
1 pinch salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil for cooking

Garlic Vinaigrette Ingredients

2 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Avocado Crema Ingredients

½ medium avocado pit removed, flesh scooped from skin
¼ cup Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions

Chicken Instructions

Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels and rub with olive oil on both sides. Heat a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Meanwhile, coat your chicken breasts with the thyme and chives and season with salt and pepper.
2 pieces chicken breasts, 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, 1 tablespoon fresh chives, 1 pinch salt, 1 pinch ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon olive oil
Place chicken in the hot skillet and cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until the herb coating is golden and the chicken releases easily. Flip and cook the second side for 3–4 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F / 74°C. Remove from the pan and rest for 2–3 minutes before slicing.
2 pieces chicken breasts

Garlic Vinaigrette Instructions

Take smashed garlic, rub it inside a small bowl, and leave it there for at least 2 minutes. Then add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice and mix with a fork to blend.
2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Avocado Crema Instructions

In a blender, add all ingredients and puree until smooth. Use all at once; this will not keep for more than a day.
1/2 medium avocado, 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Assembly Instructions

Place all salad ingredients on a large serving platter. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, drizzle with garlic vinaigrette, and toss gently. Slice the chicken breasts and arrange on top of the dressed greens. Spoon or pipe the avocado crema over the chicken — for a clean drizzle, transfer the crema to a small zip-top bag, snip one corner, and squeeze in lines across the platter.
1 medium cucumber, 4 medium artichoke hearts, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 1 cup fennel, 1/4 medium purple onion, 5 oz mixed salad greens, 1 pinch salt, 1 medium lemon

Notes

Storage: Keep components separate in airtight containers. Cooked chicken, sliced vegetables, and vinaigrette keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Dressed greens and avocado crema should be used within a few hours.

Make-Ahead: Prep and slice all vegetables, cook the chicken, and make the vinaigrette up to 24 hours ahead. Store separately and assemble just before serving.

Substitutions: Rotisserie chicken works in place of pan-seared breasts — toss pulled meat with a pinch of dried thyme and olive oil. Swap red wine vinegar for white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Use sour cream or cashew cream in place of Greek yogurt for the crema.

Freezing: This salad does not freeze well due to the fresh greens and crema. Cooked chicken breasts can be frozen separately for up to 3 months.

Pro Tip: Let the smashed garlic sit in the bowl for at least 2 minutes before adding oil and vinegar — the longer contact time extracts more flavour into the bowl surface, giving you a more aromatic vinaigrette without raw garlic chunks.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 459kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 9gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 448mgPotassium: 1018mgFiber: 10gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 2409IUVitamin C: 102mgCalcium: 138mgIron: 3mg

Feedback is key!