Pesto Grilled Chicken Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

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For the past few days I have been reminiscing of our trips to Italy we took in the past and the beautiful little Tuscan towns we ate the most amazing food. Now that the E.U is slowly opening its doors to visitors it looks like we can make those dreams a reality again. This salad embodies everything about Italian flavors in a delicious and substantial meal perfect for those Tuscan summers I have been dreaming about. Fresh summer basil, juicy tomatoes, pesto grilled chicken, crisp greens and soft cheese is my what we need right now. Hope you’ll give this recipe a try, its simple, fresh and full of Italian flavors. Enjoy!

Pesto Grilled Chicken Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces or strips
• ½ cup basil pesto, homemade or store-bought
• 2 medium sized cloves of garlic, grated or crushed
• 6 cups shredded romaine lettuce, arugula and baby spinach combo or single green
• 3 cups baby cherry tomatoes, halved
• 6 ounces fresh mozzarella balls or torn burrata cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• generous pinch of red pepper flakes
• kosher sea salt depending on how salty the pesto is
• freshly cracked black pepper as needed
• 1 serving balsamic vinaigrette , you may not need all of it
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups torn ciabatta bread

Instructions

1. Prepare the balsamic vinaigrette and set aside.
2. In a bowl, combine the chicken, grated garlic, pesto, crushed red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt if needed and set aside for 30 minutes at least or better still up to 4 hours.
3. Heat the grill, grill pan or skillet to medium-high heat. Place the marinated pieces of chicken on the grill or skillet and allow it to grill/cook until lightly charred and cooked through, turning them occasionally about 7-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the pieces.
4. For the croutons Toss the ciabatta bread pieces in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place them on baking sheet toast. Transfer under a low broil and toast them in the oven until golden. Don’t walk away as they burn very quickly.
5. Assemble the salad. Add the romaine and other greens, tomatoes, croutons, grilled chicken, and vinaigrette. Toss to combine. Once the salad is tossed garnish with mozzarella or burrata cheese and extra basil leaves. Serve immediately.