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The Best Salad Ever

ChickenGastro-PubNo-Cook
Time :30 minutes
Yield :2 servings
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Fresh mixed vegetable salad with grilled chicken, nuts, and cheese, served in a white bowl on a checkered cloth. Includes ingredients like cherry tomatoes, radishes, cucumbers, red onions, alfalfa sprouts, and balsamic dressing.

The Scoop

Presenting a salad that is not here to be background noise.
The formula for a non-boring salad requires hitting every single corner of the flavor spectrum simultaneously. This recipe solves the equation perfectly. Earthy beets meet salty olives, rich goat cheese balances tangy balsamic, and tender rotisserie chicken anchors the entire dish. It is a mathematically superior lunch designed to wake up your taste buds and keep you fueled for hours.
Hack it:
Add crispy chickpeas for extra crunch energy.
Swap goat cheese for feta if you want a sharper attitude.
Add pomegranate seeds for “I tried harder than I did” sparkle.
Use hot honey in the dressing if you like sweet-heat situations.
Toss in quinoa or farro if you want it more “meal” than “side.”
Leftovers:
Turn into a wrap (still identifies as a salad, but portable and less polite).
Pile onto toast with extra goat cheese for a snack upgrade.
Mix into cold pasta for a hybrid salad moment.

Ingredients

For the salad:

  • 2 cups romaine and spring mix
  • 3 ounces rotisserie chicken, shredded
  • 1/2 small tomato, chopped
  • 1/3 ripe avocado
  • 1/4 large beet, chopped
  • red onion, thinly sliced, as desired
  • 1-1 1/2 ounces goat cheese
  • 2 tablespoons pecans, chopped
  • 4-6 olives, sliced
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  • oregano, fresh or dry, to taste
  • fresh basil, torn or sliced into small pieces

For the dressing:

  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2-3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tablespoon sugar-free maple syrup, optional
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste

For serving:

  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, optional
  • 2 teaspoons white vinegar, optional

Directions

  • Add the romaine and spring mix, the rotisserie chicken, the tomato, the avocado, the beet, the red onion, the goat cheese, the chopped pecans, the sliced olives, the salt, the pepper, the oregano, and the basil to a large bowl.
  • Add the olive oil, 2-3 tablespoons of the balsamic vinegar, the Dijon mustard, the maple syrup, the salt, and the pepper to a small jar or bottle and shake them up until combined.
  • Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.
  • Top the salad with the remaining balsamic vinegar and the white vinegar.
  • Serve immediately.
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