This chicken parm salad is satisfying and flavorful – and inspired by one of my favorite fast casual spots! HAVE you had Sweetgreen before? If you live in a major city, you probably know what I am talking about. It is the creme de la creme for corporate Chicago lunch hour. It also cost about $15 for a bowl of lettuce. But WHATEVER, I do not judge you for getting Starbucks every morning!
Anyway, they have this salad called the ‘chicken pesto parm’ and it is extremely delicious. It’s full of hot quinoa which makes the salad less like a salad and more like a full dinner. BUT when I order it, I actually swap the pesto dressing for their balsamic which is tangy and delightful. So I decided to recreate it at home!
Make the “chicken parm” and bread
The easiest way to the prepare the chicken is to bake it in the oven. It keeps its moisture and it’s typically easier to slice up than if it’s pan friend. Plus it stays extra juicy and seems to pair better with this salad.
As you probably noticed, the chicken is seasoned with olive oil and not the usual chicken parmesan ingredients. It’s more of a deconstructed concept ;). That’s where the ciabatta baguette comes in.
I got the bread at Trader Joe’s for about $4 dollars and it was the perfect thing for the toasted croutons. THESE ARE THE BEST PART! Just buy any kind of bread with crust and that will work fine. They are warm and crispy and they taste like a restaurant.
Don’t skip the dressing
I can’t take credit for the dressing. It’s Sweetgreen’s recipe from their TikTok account!! I was so excited when I saw it. Their balsamic vinegar dressing has dijon mustard, honey and a pinch of salt all blended together with olive oil. It’s very addicting and the mustard makes it a bit creamy. Don’t be surprised if you have to make another batch of it.
And that’s about it! If you’re interested in other hearty salad dishes, try my Honey Glazed Chicken and Farro Bowls or my Steak and Arugula Salad (okay that one is a pasta but quite delicious).
Chicken Parmesan Salad with Balsamic Dressing
Equipment
- 2 baking sheets
- cutting board
- sharp knife
- small pot
- small bowl
Ingredients
Salad
- 1.5 lbs chicken breast
- ¼ cup cherry tomatoes halved
- ½ cup ciabatta baguette cubed
- 1 head broccoli de-stemmed
- 1 cup quinoa
- 4 cups spinach
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp pecorino romano grated
- salt and pepper to taste
Salad Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp dijon
- 1 tbsp honey
- red pepper flakes to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. On a baking sheet covered with foil, drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil evenly onto the chicken breasts and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for a few minutes. Then cut the chicken breasts into bite sized pieces.
- In the meantime, bring ⅓ cup of water to a boil in a small pot. Add the quinoa and boil for 45 seconds, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and let simmer for 15 minutes or until the moisture is soaked up and the quinoa is fluffy.
- Raise the oven temperature to 430°F. Chop the tomatoes, cube the bread and cut the stems off the broccoli. Place the bread cubes and the broccoli on another foiled baking sheet and drizzle with a light amount of olive oil (only a tablespoon or so) and toss both sides with an additional sprinkle of salt and pepper. Bake the sheet in the oven for 7 minutes. Then remove the toasted bread cubes (set them aside to cool) and continue baking the broccoli for another 7 minutes, or until it reaches your preferred crispiness.
- Next, make the dressing. In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar with a spoon. Add a pinch of salt and red pepper flakes if desired.
- Assemble the salad with a few scoops of quinoa on the bottom of a bowl, followed with about a a cup of spinach. Top with chicken, tomatoes, broccoli, bread croutons and pecorino Romano cheese. Drizzle on the salad and enjoy!
