A chicken garden salad dressed with ranch is a filling, healthful, and refreshing meal option. The grilled chicken, fresh vegetables, and crunchy croutons in this salad give it a burst of flavorful color and texture. Feel good about eating this wonderful chopped salad because of the abundance of nutrients it contains. This salad is ready in only 10 minutes and requires no preparation, making it ideal for a quick and healthy meal on the go or at home.
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
THREE GOOD REASONS TO EAT CHICKEN GARDEN SALAD
- Prepare your meals with ease. You can use any leftover chicken breast in this salad. It’s perfect for meal prepping because everything can be prepared in advance and then separated into individual containers. The croutons can be added at the last minute before serving, and the dressing can be stored in individual jars to bring along in a lunch.
- It’s complete with every major food category. This chicken garden salad has it all: greens, grains, protein, and cheese. It’s brimming with fresh, nutritious vegetables from the garden. It features chicken (though you can swap in your preferred protein, like grilled shrimp or tofu). Croutons, a grain product, and ranch dressing, a dairy product, are both present.
- Simple and ready in no time. This salad can be thrown together in about 10 minutes thanks to the use of pre-cooked chicken from the night before. When you don’t feel like cooking or just don’t have the time, this is the dinner for you. And you can use any vegetables you have on hand to make it your own.
SUBSTITUTES AND ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS
The following items (in the amounts specified in the ingredient list below) are required to make this tasty chicken garden salad:
- breast of chicken – I used my Greek Souvlaki Baked Chicken Breast in this case, but any leftover breast of chicken will do. Shredded roasted chicken or rotisserie chicken can also be added.
- Use any salad greens you have on hand in place of the romaine lettuce.
- Cabbage, purple
- little tomatoes and red onions
- carrot
- Cucumber from the Persian region; half of an English cucumber, finely diced, can stand in.
- Onion, red
- spiced bread sticks
- ranch dressing — use store-bought or make your own, whatever is more convenient! In a matter of minutes, you can whip up a batch of homemade ranch dressing using the following: the combination of whole milk, lemon juice, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), mayonnaise, parsley, dill, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
The adaptability of this salad is its greatest strength. Any available vegetables (such as green peppers or black olives) can be substituted. You are free to use any dressing you like. It goes well with creamy sesame, lemon, or homemade Italian dressing.
Preparing a Delicious Chicken Garden Salad with Ranch Dressing
Because it uses leftover chicken, this salad can be thrown together in a matter of minutes. Simply toss everything together in a huge bowl or on a huge serving platter. Toss it with the ranch dressing and pour it on top. Crouton topping is optional.
Making Your Own Ranch Dressing
Homemade ranch dressing may be produced quickly and easily. It calls for several ingredients, but once they are prepared and measured, it comes together quickly. To make the dressing, just combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Blend thoroughly and drizzle over salad. You can multiply the recipe and keep the extras in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container or mason jar.
HELPFUL HINTS FOR COOKING
If you don’t have any leftover chicken breast to sprinkle on top of this salad, it’s simple to prepare. The chicken only needs to be liberally seasoned with salt and pepper (approximately half a teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of ground black pepper on each side). In a cast-iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over moderate heat. Toss in the chicken and cook for 4–7 minutes on each side, or until a meat thermometer registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. After ten minutes, slice the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Preparing the vegetables for this salad ahead of time (without the dressing or croutons) and storing them in an airtight container is a great way to save time on the big day. Dressings made from scratch should be stored in an airtight container until ready to use. Toss the salad with the croutons and dressing right before serving.
Chicken garden salad is best when served immediately after making. You can keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days if you put them in an airtight container. The croutons will turn soggy if you try to store them.
QUICK GLANCES
INGREDIENTS
- 1 chopped head of romaine lettuce
- Ingredients: 1 cup chopped purple cabbage 1 cup halved grape tomatoes 3 thinly sliced radishes
- 1 cup of shredded or julienned carrots (medium size)
- 1 sliced Persian cucumber 1/4 sliced red onion
- a half-inch-thick sliced cooked chicken breast
- 1/2 cup croutons with seasoning
- Ranch dressing, either bottled or homemade (ingredients provided)
- 1/4 cup Whole milk, 2 tablespoons
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 teaspoon
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt (or sour cream)
- 2 teaspoons of mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano, minced
- Fresh dill, diced (about half a teaspoon)
- Onion Powder, 1/8 Teaspoon
- 1/4 of a teaspoon of onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon
- a pinch of black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the cooked chicken breasts, romaine lettuce, cabbage, grape tomatoes, radishes, carrot, cucumber, and red onion in a large mixing bowl or serving plate. Toss it with the ranch dressing and pour it on top. Crouton topping is optional.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the ranch dressing ingredients. Blend thoroughly and drizzle over salad.
NUTRITION FACTS:
- 13%Total Fat 10.1g
- 18%Cholesterol 53.9mg
- 11%Sodium 264mg
- 6%Total Carbohydrate 17.6g
- Sugars 6.2g
- 40%Protein 19.9g
- 94%Vitamin A 847.8µg
- 54%Vitamin C 48.2mg
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