Grilled Chicken Kale Salad

5 from 1 vote

This Grilled Chicken Kale Salad can be made in under 30 minutes and is the perfect holiday salad! Mix crispy kale with spinach, many vegetables and balsamic dressing and grilled chicken.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Course: Salads

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: servings

Calories: 385kcal

Author: Dalya Rubin

Ingredients

For the Grilled Chicken:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
½ tablespoon olive oil
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon paprika

For the Salad:

1 large bunch kale stems removed and chopped
3 cups baby spinach roughly chopped
1 cup shredded purple cabbage or thinly sliced cabbage
1 yellow pepper chopped
¼ cup store bought toasted pumpkin seeds
¾ cup walnuts
1 box colorful cherry tomatoes halved
¼ cup pomegranate seeds
1 avocado cubed or sliced

For the Dressing:

⅓ cup olive oil
3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2-3 garlic cloves minced into a paste
2 tablespoon pure maple syrup honey or sugar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt or table salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

Make the Chicken:

Preheat the oven to 425°F and line an 8”x8” circle or square baking dish with parchment paper or grease with cooking spray. Alternatively, heat a cast iron grill pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat.
Place chicken breasts into a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle over salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Rub spices all over the chicken so it’s coated on both sides.
Place the chicken onto the grill pan and cook for 6-8 minutes per side. Alternatively, bake for 18-25 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F. Every chicken is a different thickness, so be careful not to undercook the chicken and make sure it is fully cooked through.
Once chicken is cooked and slightly cooled, cut into thin slices or into small chunks.

Prepare the Dressing:

Combine all dress ingredients in a medium container with a lid or in a bowl. Shake ingredients together if in a container or whisk well if in a bowl.

Make the Salad:

Place walnuts on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven, and cook for 6-8 minutes or until fragrant. Allow to cool, then roughly chop. Set aside.
Place kale into a large bowl and drizzle with 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil. Massage with your hands to soften the kale.
Add remaining salad ingredients (including the kale) in a large bowl or serving platter. Leave aside a bit of each component to decorate the top of the salad with before serving to guests.
Drizzle over ¾ of the dressing and toss until combined.
Top salad with sliced chicken pieces.
Drizzle remaining dressing over the salad if desired.
Add remaining salad ingredients for garnish (if desired).

Notes

Make it a main dish - If making this salad as the main dish, you can double or triple the amount of chicken to yield a more filling salad.
Shake the dressing in a container or glass jar - Shaking the dressing is the best way to ensure it is emulsified well. Whisk the dressing works too, but the dressing is more likely to separate.
Prepare the chicken & dressing in advance - If you're serving this salad for a holiday meal, you can easily prepare the chicken up to 3 days in advance and dressing up to 5 days ahead.

Nutrition