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This blueberry chicken chopped salad recipe is loaded up with a zesty mix of ingredients and tossed with a lemon vinaigrette.
Whenever fresh berries are in season, I always look forward to this making this blueberry salad. ♡
It’s an oldie-but-goodie here on Gimme Some Oven. (Just realized the original recipe was posted nearly a decade ago!) But all of these years later, it continues to be a yummy staple in our salad rotation and one of my personal faves.
The choice of protein here is completely up to you — I love making this salad with pan-seared chicken, but it’s also delicious with steak, salmon, shrimp, roasted chickpeas, or you can leave out the protein entirely. We’ll build the salad with a base of your favorite chopped greens, nuts, diced red onion, crumbled goat or feta, lots of fresh blueberries, and then give it a toss with my everyday dressing. And the result is a sweet, savory, tangy, fresh balance of flavors that I’m certain you are going to love.
So the next time you’re craving a big green salad, grab some fresh blueberries and let’s go!
Blueberry Salad Ingredients
Here are a few quick notes about the ingredients you will need to make this blueberry salad recipe:
- Blueberries: Fresh blueberries are the star of this recipe, so find some good ones!
- Chicken: I recommend boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs for this recipe, which we will season simply with salt and pepper and sauté in olive oil.
- Greens: I personally prefer the sturdy texture and mild flavor of Romaine hearts or little gem lettuce in this salad, but feel free to sub in any salad greens that you love best.
- Nuts: We typically toss this salad with toasted pecans, almonds or walnuts, but feel free to use whatever nuts or seeds you happen to have on hand.
- Red onion: Diced red onion rounds out the flavors here with a delicious bite, but feel free to briefly rinse the onion under cold water if you would like to mellow out its flavor.
- Crumbled feta or goat cheese: I love the tangy flavor of crumbled feta or goat cheese in this salad, which pairs so well with the sweet blueberries.
- Everyday salad dressing: Finally, we’ll toss this salad with my favorite everyday salad dressing made with olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon, salt and pepper. I also like to add a hint of honey to the vinaigrette for this recipe.
Recipe Variations
Here are a few different variations that you’re welcome to try with this chopped salad recipe:
- Use a different protein: Swap in steak, salmon or shrimp for the chicken.
- Use a balsamic vinaigrette: Use a classic balsamic vinaigrette in place of the everyday vinaigrette.
- Add extra veggies: Add in some diced avocado, cucumber or bell pepper for some extra veggies.
- Add fresh herbs: Add in some chopped fresh basil, chives or dill.
More Green Salads To Try
Looking for more fresh green salad recipes to try? Here are a few of our faves!
Description
This blueberry chicken chopped salad recipe is loaded up with a zesty mix of ingredients and tossed with a lemon vinaigrette.
Salad Ingredients:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- fine sea salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces Romaine hearts or little gem lettuce, finely chopped
- 1 pint (2 cups) fresh blueberries
- 1 cup toasted chopped pecans
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 5 ounces crumbled feta or goat cheese
Vinaigrette Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Cook the chicken. Season the chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side until cooked through and no longer pink inside. Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes, then dice into small pieces.
- Prepare the vinaigrette. Meanwhile, prepare the vinaigrette by whisking all of the ingredients together in a bowl (or shaking vigorously in a sealed jar) until emulsified.
- Combine. Combine the diced chicken and remaining salad ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss until evenly combined.
- Serve. Serve immediately and enjoy!
