Top tender chicken with a creamy dressing for a light meal
On those days when you’re craving something fresh and don’t feel like doing a lot of cooking, salads are the ideal solution. They’re nutritious, easy to throw together and endlessly customizable so you can make them with the ingredients you have to suit the flavor profiles you prefer.
This Grilled Chicken and Avocado Salad unites savory, sweet, tangy and creamy flavors in a single bowl. Crisp lettuce and tender spinach bring leafy green nutrients to the base of each salad. The juicy, slightly charred grilled chicken is seasoned, smoky and a good source of lean protein. Avocado slices, Greek yogurt and olive oil add rich, creamy textures and healthy fats, while cucumbers make each bite refreshing. Apple slices and grapes lend natural sweetness that complement the tangy honey-mustard dressing.
Light enough for lunch but filling enough for dinner, it’s a versatile salad packed with vegetables, fruits, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Make the recipe your own by switching to a different dressing or tossing in bonus toppings like walnuts, dried cranberries or cherry tomatoes. Plant-based home chefs can adapt by swapping to a different protein like tofu, tempeh or chickpeas and using non-dairy yogurt for the dressing.
Find more light yet filling salad solutions by visiting Culinary.net.
Grilled Chicken and Avocado Salad
Recipe adapted from Delish
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (8 ounces each)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 romaine hearts, chopped
3cups spinach
2 avocados, thinly sliced
2 cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 apple, thinly sliced
1 cup grapes, halved
Creamy Honey-Dijon Dressing:
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. In medium bowl, sprinkle chicken with oregano, coriander and salt and pepper, to taste. Add oil then toss to coat.
Grill chicken, covered, about 8 minutes per side, until slightly charred and registering 165 F on thermometer inserted into thickest part. Transfer to cutting board, let rest 5 minutes then thinly slice.
Divide romaine, spinach, avocados, cucumbers, apples and grapes among bowls. Top with chicken.
To make dressing: Whisk Greek yogurt, olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad and serve.