It’s only the 3rd of January and I’m already ready for winter to be over! Let’s reminisce about the greatness of summer by making this Chicken Avocado Caprese Salad, full of light, bright, sunny ingredients.
This recipe was inspired by a recipe I saw on Cafe Delites, another favorite food blog because everything looks ta-die-for, comforting and delicious. I’ve made several salads from the site, and they’re all ingenious because the salad dressing does double duty as a marinade for the protein, reinforcing the flavors in several layers. I made my favorite recipe for Balsamic Vinaigrette to accompany mine-but you can use any recipe you like! It caramelizes and intensifies on the chicken when cooking, giving you lots of crispy bits and texture to save us eating from another non-descript salad. Plus your hands-on time is less than 20 minutes to put this light but hearty meal on the table!
Luckily, greens, avocados, mozzarella and sweet, ripe cherry tomatoes are available all year for us…perfect for summer days and nights, or days in the dead of winter when you’re just dreaming of summer’s return!
Chicken Avocado Caprese Salad
- Yield: 4 servings
Description
The essence of summer in a salad! Balsamic vinaigrette does double duty as a marinade for the chicken plus dressing for the salad…combine with greens, cherry tomatoes, avocado and fresh mozzarella for a light salad that comes together in minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Balsamic Vinaigrette
FOR THE SALAD:
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 5 to 6 ounces mixed salad greens
- 1 avocado, thinly sliced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 8 ounces bocconcini (mini mozzarella balls), halved OR fresh mozzarella, cubed
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a shallow dish; pour 1/3 cup of dressing over the chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Place the halved tomatoes in a small mixing bowl; add about 1 to 2 tablespoons of the dressing and stir to coat. Allow to marinate while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
- In a large skillet, preheat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade, allowing the excess to drip off. Sear the chicken for about 6 to 8 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. Remove from the skillet and rest for 5 minutes while you assemble the salad.
- Toss enough of the dressing with the salad greens to lightly coat. Transfer to a large serving platter or bowl. Add the marinated tomatoes, bocconcini and avocado over the top. Slice the chicken breasts and place on the salad. Sprinkle the basil on and serve with the remaining dressing on the side.
Notes
Inspiration: Chicken Avocado Caprese Salad on cafedelites.com
- Category: Salads
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