When I think of a salad, I typically think of a bowl filled with leafy greens and a handful of chopped veggies floating around. This salad is quite the opposite! While it does have some veggies and hints of green speckled throughout, the base is made up of chicken, and I can assure you you’ll be fully satiated after eating it.
I love having this salad on a bed of kale or in sandwich form when I’m extra hungry. It’s chock full of protein (chicken), healthy fats (walnuts), and flavor (pickles & dressing). A lot of chicken salad recipes cast chicken as the star of the show, but I consider it a powerful co-lead. The real flavor in this salad comes from the juicy pickles, sweet cranberries, fresh dill, and tangy dressing. All of the flavors work together to create a perfect bowl. Check out the recipe below and let me know what you think of it! 🙂
Loaded Chicken Salad (GF & DF)
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients:
- 4-6 Grilled chicken thighs (shredded or chopped)
- 1/2 small Purple onion (finely chopped)
- 3 large Pickles (chopped)
- 3 stalks Celery (chopped)
- 2/3 cup Walnuts (chopped)
- 1/3 cup Dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup Dill (finely chopped)
Dressing Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp Mayonnaise (sub greek yogurt)
- 2-3 tsps Dijon mustard
- 1 Lemon (juice)
- 1 tsp Water (optional in case dressing needs to be diluted; add more if needed)
- Salt & pepper
- Red chili flakes (optional)
Instructions
- If you are not using chicken that has already been grilled, heat oil on a pan and grill chicken thighs over medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Season each side with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Let cool for 30 mins. before adding it into the salad.
- Finely chop all the salad ingredients and put them in a large bowl.
- Combine all the dressing ingredients and whisk them together well.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and mix everything until fully combined.
- Add salt and pepper to taste if needed. Serve the salad over a bed of kale, by itself, or in a sandwich!
