Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Salad (Printable)

Tender chicken with tangy sun-dried tomatoes, fresh vegetables, and feta in a balsamic dressing.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Meats

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 extra virgin 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, layer the mixed greens, shredded chicken, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced sun-dried tomatoes, diced cucumber, and thinly sliced red onion.
03 - Drizzle the prepared dressing over the salad and toss gently, ensuring all ingredients are evenly coated.
04 - Scatter the crumbled feta cheese and toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds over the top. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The dressing uses oil straight from the sun dried tomato jar, which means you are already halfway to incredible flavor before adding anything else.
  • It comes together in the time it takes to catch up on a phone call, and somehow tastes like you spent an hour on it.
02 -
  • If you dress the entire salad and refrigerate it, the greens will wilt into sadness within an hour, so always store dressing separately if making ahead.
  • Toasting pine nuts in a dry pan takes barely two minutes and burns in three, so stand there and shake the pan the entire time.
03 -
  • Save every drop of oil from the sun dried tomato jar because it is liquid gold for dressings, marinades, and even drizzling over roasted vegetables.
  • Let the salad rest for five minutes after dressing before eating because the flavors meld and settle in a way that makes each bite more cohesive.

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