I really love to eat salads and they make a great light lunch dish for guests.  This chicken chopped salad is one of my favorites and is what I served for the Garden Party I shared here.  The grilled chicken, bacon, blue cheese, and avocado mimic one of my favorite menu items from Chevy’s – the Santa Fe Chopped Salad.  My version is simple to prepare in advance and makes such a pretty display.  I eat it with a creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing that I started making when I couldn’t eat packaged salad dressings.

Chicken Chopped Salad and Cilantro-Lime Dressing – the Recipe

Chicken Chopped Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing

Grilled chicken, bacon, avocado, and blue cheese top a bed of greens. A creamy cilantro-lime dressing finished this flavorful salad, easy enough to prepare in advance and sophisticated enough to serve to guests.

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Course: Salad

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 4

Calories: 1013kcal

Author: Girl. Inspired.

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 C. soy sauce
• 1/2 C. olive oil
• salt/pepper
• 2 cloves garlic

Salad Ingredients

• 4-8 cups chopped lettuces - romaine baby green, and spinach
• 1 pound bacon chopped and cooked
• 4 Tablespoons blue cheese crumbles
• 1-2 avocados

Cilantro Lime Dressing

• 2 limes
• 6 ounces plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 C. fresh cilantro washed and stems removed
• 1/4 C. honey more or less to taste

Instructions

• In a large Ziploc bag, combine soy sauce, olive oil, juice of 1 lime, salt/pepper, and crushed garlic cloves to form marinade.
• Place chicken breasts in marinade and seal bag. Place in refrigerator for 30 min. - 3 hours.
• Grill chicken on low-med heat for 7-10 minutes on each, or until cooked through.
• Cool chicken and slice.
• Place 1-2 cups of salad greens on individual plate.
• Top with sliced chicken breast, 1 Tablespoon blue cheese, 1/2 sliced avocado, 2 Tablespoons crumbled bacon.
• Serve with Cilantro-Lime Dressing: In a blender, combine juice of 1 lime, salt/pepper, yogurt, fresh cilantro, and honey. Blend well and serve immediately.

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Nutrition

Calories: 1013kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 71g | Fat: 69g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 230mg | Sodium: 2773mg | Potassium: 1754mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 6385IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 166mg | Iron: 4mg

For advanced party prep, you can cook up the chicken and bacon the day before.  The dressing should be blended up right before serving.  Instead of serving guests individual salads, you can also place everything on a large platter to serve family style.

Don’t forget to check out the complete menu and party details for the Garden and Seed Exchange Party.  There is a $100 Visa Gift Card giveaway at the end of the post that you don’t want to miss – comment on that post with an answer to the prompt or just say hi to enter the giveaway!

Also, did you notice the new recipe card?  You can easily print the recipe now and if we’re liking it, I’ll start going back through past recipes and converting them as well – sound good?