Boy have I got a healthy and delicious summer salad for ya, right here!
Last night, I went to a concert and stayed out until 3am. Waking up at 7am to nurse a baby and get the kids off to swim team practice, was a wake-up call that I AM OLD (and also have no business being at a concert until wee hours)! Haha! Had such a great time with hubs dancing the night away, but needed to take it easy and focus on recharging today. Grilled Chicken Salad was the perfect light but nourishing, healthy salad for this hot day, and it is hitting the spot!
I have a meal-prep trick I love, and want to share with you! If I know I’m going to be cooking more recipes with chicken in the coming week, I’ll trim, filet and season extra servings to store in the fridge. This way, they are ready to add to another meal when I’m struggling or rushing on a busy day. It makes putting together a healthy meal for my family that much easier and is a great way to avoid resorting to unhealthy “fast” choices. I also use this trick when cooking with meat or tempeh.
Another thing I love? FLAVOR. The seasoning combo for the chicken that tops Grilled Chicken Salad, is on point. This also works really well on tempeh, just double the spice measurements and add juice from half of a lemon, to ensure lots of flavor.
We are off to a pool day at a friends house, so I’m just quickly throwing todays Grilled Chicken Salad together myself. If you’re not in a rush, make sure to let the kids help! We love these knives the kids can safely use to chop vegetables for the Grilled Chicken Salad or help slice the cooked chicken cutlets. Involving littles in recipe production teaches them about making healthy and nutritious food choices, gives them some power in the kitchen, helps their little hands practice motor skills control and most importantly – they’ll be much more likely to eat what’s being served!
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Grilled Chicken Salad
Equipment
- Cast iron grill pan
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/8 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked sea salt
- 2 chicken breasts, trimmed and halved lengthwise into cutlets
- 4 handfuls salad greens
- 15-20 pea shoots or sprouts, sliced in half horizontally
- 3 radishes, chopped
- 1/2 cucumber, peeled and sliced
- 1 tomato, chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
Simple Dressing
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 4 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Heat a grill pan (this is the one I use) over medium heat.
- Mix the oil, spices and salt in a small bowl. Using a silicone basting brush, brush the spice mixture onto the chicken before placing it on the grill pan.
- Place the cutlets on the hot grill pan and allow to cook for 4 minutes on the first side. Flip and cook for an additional 4 minutes on the other side. Move the cooked cutlets to a platter to cool.
- Assemble washed and dried greens and vegetables in a large salad bowl.
- Slice the chicken cutlets and arrange them on top of the greens.
- Dress the salad simply, with lemon juice and olive oil, or try my favorite homemade vinaigrette recipe.
I just made this last night, added basil and grape tomatoes, also sealed the chicken in a pan just before the oven. It was incredible delicious I am so glad I run into your recipe! Thanks!
Hi Alisha! Basil and grape tomatoes sound like great additions – yum! I just love basil. So glad you enjoyed this grilled chicken salad 🙂