Antipasto Salad with Grilled Chicken and Basil Pesto Vinaigrette – Fresh and delicious salad packed with grilled chicken, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and pepperoncini, all tossed in an amazing homemade Basil Pesto Vinaigrette.
This Italian inspired Antipasto Salad is fresh, hearty and full of flavor, perfect for when you’ve got some chicken on the grill, or even chicken leftovers from the night before. It is a terrific main dish salad bursting with amazing flavors and textures.
Antipasto Salad is one of my favorite summer starters. Add some grilled chicken to it, and it becomes my most favorite summer meal. Top it off with a homemade Basil Pesto Vinaigrette, that also acts as marinade, and you’ve got the perfect main-meal salad combination.
But, lest not forget! A juicy and succulent piece of grilled skinless chicken breast also begs for a flavorful marinade.
Enter Basil Pesto Vinaigrette/Marinade.
A combination of basil pesto, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, infuses the chicken with high-impact flavor.
To begin, whisk together all of the marinade/dressing ingredients; put half of it in the fridge to use later as a dressing, and pour the other half in a ziploc bag and toss in the chicken breasts. Put aside for 30 minutes, or for up to 2 hours.
HOW TO GRILL CHICKEN BREASTS
When ready to cook the chicken, preheat the grill to 400F and brush grill grates with oil.
Remove chicken from marinade and place on the hot grill; cook without touching for about 5 minutes, or until grill marks appear.
Flip the chicken, cover the grill, and continue to cook until done; about 7 more minutes.
HOW TO MAKE AN ANTIPASTO SALAD
Chop up about 4 cups of Romaine Lettuce and place it in a large salad bowl.
Add fresh mozzarella cheese balls on top of the chopped lettuce, as well as halved cherry tomatoes and pickled pepperoncini. When chicken is done, let stand about 5 minutes before cutting it into strips.
Add the chicken strips to the salad and top with previously prepared salad dressing. Toss and serve.
VARIATIONS: You can also stir in some chopped black olives and artichoke hearts, and use a store-bought Italian salad dressing in place of the homemade Basil Pesto Vinaigrette.
MORE MAIN COURSE SALADS:
Steak Salad with Dijon Balsamic Dressing
Cranberry Chicken Salad with Light Dijon Parmesan Dressing
Apples and Celery Pasta Salad with Light Caesar Dressing
ENJOY!
CRAVING MORE? SIGN UP FOR THE DIETHOOD NEWSLETTER FOR FRESH NEW RECIPES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX!
FOLLOW DIETHOOD ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST AND INSTAGRAM FOR ALL OF THE LATEST CONTENT, RECIPES AND UPDATES.
If you try a recipe, please use the hashtag #diethood on INSTAGRAM for a chance to be featured!
TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS USED IN THIS RECIPE
The post Antipasto Salad with Grilled Chicken and Basil Pesto Vinaigrette appeared first on Diethood.
