Grilled Chicken Chopped Salad with Italian Dressing
This salad is layered with so much fresh delicious flavor! Crisp lettuce and cucumber, sweet tomatoes, bright onion, rich olives, crispy croutons, and tender grilled chicken. And it's all tossed with refreshing, tangy Italian dressing.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 Tbsp white vinegar
- 3 Tbsp water
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp finely minced fresh parsley
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Salad
- 1 1/4 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for brushing grill
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled and chopped
- 1 (10.5 oz) pkg. grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup croutons (optional)
- 1/2 cup sliced black olives
- 1/3 cup chopped red onion, rinsed under water
- Finely shredded parmesan, for serving
- 4 pepperoncini peppers, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- To make the dressing: Add all dressing ingredients to a blender, season with salt and pepper to taste (I used about 3/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper). Blend well. Chill until ready to use.
- To grill the chicken: Preheat a grill over medium-high heat to 425 degrees. Cover chicken with plastic wrap and pound chicken to an even thickness with the flat side of a meat mallet.
- Brush chicken with olive oil then season both sides with salt and pepper. Brush grill grates lightly with oil, place chicken on grill and cook about 3 - 5 minutes per side (center should register 165). Transfer to a plate, cover with foil and rest 10 minutes, then cut into cubes.
- To make the salad: Place all remaining salad ingredients in a large bowl (or plate individually) and toss. Pour dressing over salad, top with desired amount of parmesan. Add a pepper to each serving if desired and serve immediately after adding dressing.