Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Salad (Printer-Friendly)
Protein-packed Mediterranean salad with tender chicken, tangy sun-dried tomatoes, crisp veggies, and creamy feta. Ready in 35 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced (about 2 medium breasts)
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and sliced
04 - 1/2 cup cucumber, diced
05 - 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
06 - 4 cups mixed salad greens (arugula, spinach, or romaine)
→ Dairy
07 - 1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
→ Nuts
08 - 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds (optional)
→ Dressing
09 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
10 - 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato oil (reserved from jar)
11 - 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
12 - 1 clove garlic, minced
13 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
14 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# How-To Steps:
01 - In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, sun-dried tomato oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until fully emulsified. Set aside.
02 - In a large salad bowl, combine the mixed greens, shredded chicken, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced sun-dried tomatoes, diced cucumber, and red onion.
03 - Drizzle the prepared dressing over the salad and toss gently, ensuring all ingredients are evenly coated.
04 - Scatter crumbled feta cheese and toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds over the top if desired.
05 - Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours before serving for best flavor.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The dressing uses oil straight from the sun dried tomato jar, which means you get double the tangy, concentrated tomato flavor without any extra work.
- It comes together in about thirty minutes with zero cooking if you start with leftover or rotisserie chicken.
02 -
- If you dress the salad too far in advance, the greens will wilt into a soggy mess, so always add the dressing no more than ten minutes before eating.
- Toasting pine nuts in a dry skillet takes about three minutes and they go from golden to burnt in seconds, so stay right there and shake the pan constantly.
03 -
- Save the oil from your jar of sun dried tomatoes in a separate bottle in the fridge and use it as a quick marinade for chicken or a drizzle over roasted vegetables.
- Letting the dressing sit for at least ten minutes before using it transforms the flavor from good to restaurant quality.