Summer Chopped Chicken Salad

Do you remember the Seinfeld episode where Elaine had to have the BIG SALAD and George complained about paying for it the entire time? This salad would have made both of them happy. Making a dinner salad at home is so much more cost effective than eating out, and when it has big taste like this one, no one will go hungry.

This Summer Chopped Chicken Salad has a slightly smoky taste and char from the grilled ingredients as well as the dressing. It is fast and easy to put together, and won’t break the calorie budget.

The adobo sauce comes from canned chipotle in adobo; we are using only the sauce portion here. The chipotles and remaining sauce will keep well in the fridge for weeks, and makes a fabulous addition to soups and stock pot preparations. Be careful with the adobo sauce, though, as it can be super spicy – add it to your taste, a little at a time. This vinaigrette is slightly spicy, but not “burn your mouth” spicy.  I used about half of the recipe for this salad and refrigerated the rest.

Summer Chopped Chicken Salad

Course: Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Keyword: grilled chicken salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

A bright, easy meal that envisions summer with the addition of grilled components.

Print Recipe

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 3 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tsp Vegetable or canola oil
• 2 ears Sweet corn on the cob
• 1 Red Pepper
• 2 heads Romaine lettuce, cut in 1" dice
• 1/4 Red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup Roasted Shelled Pistachios
• 3 tbsp Roasted shelled Sunflower Seeds
• 1 can Garbanzo (Ceci) beans (small - 7.75 ounces)
• 2 ounces Sharp cheddar cheese, cut in 1/4" dice
• 3/4 cup Sweet Adobo Vinaigrette

Instructions

• Prepare grill: heat for ten minutes on high, clean and oil grates. 
  
• Salt and Pepper chicken.
  
• Prepare red pepper and corn for grilling: core and seed pepper, cutting into quarters. Remove corn husk and silk. Using pastry brush, lightly oil corn and red pepper with vegetable oil, and lightly salt. 
  
• Grill chicken until cooked through; temperature should read 180 degrees on an instant read meat thermometer, or juices should run clear when cut. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing into bite size pieces.
  
• Grill corn and pepper until cooked and lightly charred. Slice red pepper into thin pieces, and remove corn from cob.
  
• Combine romaine, nuts, seeds, beans, red onion, and cheese in salad bowl. Add chicken, corn and pepper, and salad dressing. Toss well to coat, and serve.