Description
This Healthy Pesto Chicken Salad with Rotisserie Chicken is a quick, flavorful meal that’s perfect for lunch or dinner. Using store-bought rotisserie chicken makes it super easy, while a homemade pesto dressing adds a vibrant, herby flavor. With crunchy veggies and protein-packed chicken, this salad is not only delicious but also healthy and satisfying.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Salad:
- 2 cups cooked rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 4 cups mixed greens (spinach, arugula, or baby kale)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cucumber, sliced
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup feta cheese (optional)
- 1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts (optional, for crunch)
For the Pesto Dressing:
- 1/4 cup pesto (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Prepare the Salad:
- In a large salad bowl, combine the mixed greens, shredded rotisserie chicken, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion.
- If using, sprinkle the feta cheese and nuts over the top for extra flavor and crunch.
Make the Pesto Dressing:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the pesto, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
- Drizzle the pesto dressing over the salad just before serving. Toss gently to combine, ensuring everything is coated with the flavorful dressing.
Serve:
- Divide the salad into bowls and serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Notes
- Make it dairy-free: To make this salad dairy-free, omit the feta cheese or use a dairy-free cheese alternative.
- Add more protein: If you’d like to add extra protein, consider adding hard-boiled eggs or chickpeas to the salad.
- Make it ahead: You can prep the salad ingredients ahead of time (without the dressing), store them in the fridge, and toss them together with the dressing when ready to eat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 salad bowl
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: ~550mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: ~45mg