Chicken Vegetable Salad (Printable View)
Tender chicken pairs with crisp vegetables and creamy dressing for a light, flavorful dish.
# Ingredient List:
→ Chicken
01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 14 oz)
02 - 1 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1/2 tsp salt
04 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
→ Vegetables
05 - 2 cups mixed salad greens
06 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
07 - 1/2 cucumber, sliced
08 - 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
09 - 1 celery stalk, diced
→ Dressing
10 - 3 tbsp mayonnaise
11 - 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
12 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
13 - 1 tbsp lemon juice
14 - 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
15 - Salt and pepper, to taste
→ Optional Additions
16 - 1/4 cup toasted walnuts or pecans
17 - 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
# How to Prepare:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
02 - Coat chicken breasts with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange on a baking tray and roast for 15 minutes until fully cooked. Allow to cool slightly, then dice or shred.
03 - In a large bowl, mix salad greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and celery.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, parsley, and season with salt and pepper.
05 - Add the cooked chicken to the vegetable mixture. Pour the dressing over and toss gently to combine.
06 - Optionally sprinkle toasted nuts and crumbled feta cheese on top. Serve immediately.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- It comes together in 35 minutes, making it perfect for those days when you need something satisfying but don't want to spend hours cooking.
- The Greek yogurt base keeps it lighter than traditional creamy salads while delivering all the comfort and flavor.
- You can make it your own—add grapes for sweetness, swap in different greens, or pile it onto bread for a sandwich.
02 -
- Don't skip cooling the chicken—warm chicken will wilt your greens and make the dressing separate, which nobody wants.
- The magic happens when you use both mayonnaise and Greek yogurt together; one alone makes it either too heavy or too lean.
- Toss the salad just before serving; dressed greens sitting for an hour will become soggy and sad.
03 -
- Toast your walnuts or pecans in a dry skillet for two minutes before adding them—it deepens their flavor and makes them taste like you spent way more effort than you actually did.
- If you're making this ahead, keep the dressing separate and toss just before serving to prevent soggy greens.
- A squeeze of extra lemon juice just before serving brightens everything and prevents the salad from tasting flat as it sits.