Grilled chicken rounds out this Italian-inspired salad with olives, vegetables, and a tart-sweet balsamic vinaigrette. This salad was first featured in a meal plan in 2015.
Marinate chicken - Toss chicken in half the prepared vinaigrette (reserve the other half to dress the salad). Marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to a day. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
Olives - prep as directed. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
Green beans - Trim and cut into 1/2” / 1.25 cm pieces. Place in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with a wet paper towel and microwave until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
Remove chicken from marinade (discard marinade) and season on both sides with salt and pepper.
If cooking on the grill: Heat grill to 400F / 163C degrees, keeping one part over direct heat and one part over indirect heat. Brush grates with some cooking oil. Place chicken over direct heat. Sear chicken for 2 to 3 minutes on each side and transfer to indirect heat. Cook until internal temperature reaches 165F / 74C degrees, an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
If cooking on the stovetop: Place a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush pan with some cooking oil and sear chicken on both sides for 2 to 3 minutes. Lower heat to medium, cover with foil or lid, and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 165F / 74C degrees.
Slice chicken into bite-sized pieces.
To assemble salads, toss together lettuce, tomatoes, walnuts, green beans, olives, and chicken. Add vinaigrette until dressed to your liking. Enjoy!
This was delicious. I used made the spiced chickpeas (from the spiced chickpea grain bowl left out the cumin) added those instead of feta and added cucumbers instead of green beans.