Bruschetta Chicken Salad (Printable Version)

Grilled chicken with fresh tomato-basil topping over crisp mixed greens for a light Italian-inspired meal.

# List of Ingredients:

→ For the Chicken

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
04 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ For the Bruschetta Topping

07 - 2 cups ripe tomatoes, diced (about 4 medium tomatoes)
08 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
09 - 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
10 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
11 - 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
12 - 1 clove garlic, minced
13 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
14 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ For the Salad

15 - 6 cups mixed salad greens (romaine, arugula, or spring mix)
16 - 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese (optional)
17 - Lemon wedges, for serving

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
02 - Rub chicken breasts with olive oil, Italian herbs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
03 - Grill chicken for 6–7 minutes per side, or until cooked through and juices run clear. Remove from heat, rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly.
04 - While the chicken grills, combine tomatoes, red onion, basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Toss gently and let sit for 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
05 - Arrange salad greens on a large platter or individual plates. Lay sliced chicken over the greens.
06 - Spoon the bruschetta topping generously over the chicken. Sprinkle with shaved Parmesan, if using.
07 - Serve immediately, with lemon wedges on the side.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The warm chicken against cool crisp greens creates that perfect temperature contrast restaurant salads always nail
  • Everything comes together in under 40 minutes but tastes like you spent way more effort on it
02 -
  • Letting the chicken rest is non negotiable otherwise all those juices end up on your cutting board instead of in the salad
  • The bruschetta mixture actually tastes better after sitting for those 10 minutes so do not rush this step
03 -
  • Grill extra chicken breasts and use them throughout the week for other salads or sandwiches
  • If tomatoes are not in season use cherry tomatoes which are consistently sweet year round
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