This smoked chicken salad has everything you are looking for in a summer salad – sweetness from the fruit, creaminess from the mozzarella, crunchy pumpkin seeds and the flavourful smoked chicken. It is the perfect meal for summer as it feels light & fresh, yet it is really satisfying. We love the versatility of this smoked chicken salad, as you can really tweak it to suit your preferences or what you have on hand. Use your favourite fruit and cheese to make up your own version!
Fruit in salads
We are definitely late joining the fruit in salads train, but I have to say we are completely on board now. Fruit is a great addition to a salad because it adds sweetness, tartness, texture, colour and fun. We used berries in this smoked chicken salad, but we also made it with mango slices and grilled peach slices, which were both delicious.
Some of our favourite fruits to include in salads include;
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Apple
- Mango
- Peaches
- Grapes
- Grapefruit
- Orange
- Avocado
Smoked Chicken
If you have not tried smoked chicken before, you are in for a treat! We love smoked chicken breast in this salad because it is so tender, moist and flavourful. It is a great meat to have on hand as it usually comes vacuumed packed, so has a long shelf life. Also, as it is already cooked, it is ready to eat. You can serve it as part of a smoked chicken salad, or as part of any meal in place of cooked chicken.
Smoked chicken is readily available in major supermarkets in Australia, like Coles and Woolworths. It can be found near other smoked and cured meats like ham, turkey etc. We usually buy smoked chicken breasts, which are individually vacuumed packed. At this time of year (November/December) you will find even more smoked chicken options available as we lead up to Christmas.
SUMMER SALADS IN NOVEMBER
This month (November 2022), we are talking all things summer salads! We will be sharing our favourite recipes, tips & tricks, ingredients and kitchen equipment on our Facebook page across November to help you create delicious, easy summer salads at home.
Check out our first recipe from the past three weeks;
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Steps for assembling your smoked chicken salad
Tips for making a smoked chicken salad
- It is best to dress this salad just prior to serving. Once the leaves are dressed they will start to deteriorate. If you are packing this salad for work/school lunch, pop the dressing in a separate container and pour it on just before eating.
- You can easily double this recipe if you are wanting to make it for four people.
- We used mixed lettuce leaves in this recipe but you can also use baby spinach or rocket (arugula) instead.
Suggestions for making smoked chicken salad
- You can use any fruit you like in this salad in place of the berries. Some great alternatives are mango, peaches, apple or grapes. Tomatoes and avocados are technically fruits, and both would also work well in this salad too.
- You can use any grilled or shredded chicken in place of the smoked chicken in this salad if you prefer.
- We love the freshness and lightness of fresh mozzarella in this salad, but you can use any cheese you prefer in this smoked chicken salad. Some great alternatives would be feta, goat’s cheese, Boursin or blue cheese.
- You can use other nuts or seeds in place of the pumpkin seeds in this recipe if you prefer.
Make it low carb
- This recipe is naturally low carb if you use berries in the salad. To reduce the carbohydrates further you could use avocado in place of the berries in this recipe.
Equipment
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Smoked chicken salad
What could be faster than 10-15 minutes to get this smoked chicken salad on the table for a delicious meal? You will be pleasantly surprised by how delicious this salad is given how quickly it comes together, with virtually no cooking required. The convenience of smoked chicken really makes this salad so fast to prepare. This salad is also very versatile as you could use whatever cheese or fruit you have on hand or prefer. We do love the combination of the fresh & light mozzarella with the zesty berries and crunchy pumpkin seeds.
If you like this recipe, please give it a 5 star rating.
If you like this recipe you may also like…
- Mexican Chicken Salad
- Mexican tuna salad
- Tuna Salad without Mayo
- Panko Chicken
- Cream Cheese Pasta
- Lemon Chicken Marinade
- Mexican chicken marinade
- Smoked Chicken Salad
- Roast Pumpkin Salad
- Tandoori Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Salad Dressing
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp cracked black pepper
Salad
- 1 smoked chicken breast, sliced
- ½ cup fresh berries
- 1 small ball fresh mozzarella, torn into pieces (100-150g)
- 4 cups salad leaves (120g)
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
Instructions
Salad Dressing
- Combine all ingredients in a small jar and shake well until it is completely combined.
Salad
- Heat a small frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the pumpkin seeds and toast for 4-5 minutes until they are starting to brown and smell toasty. Stir or toss them while they are cooking to ensure they don't burn. Set aside to cool down.
- In a large bowl add the salad leaves and ¾ of the salad dressing. Toss well to ensure all the leaves are coated.
- Divide the salad leaves between your two serving bowls or plates.
- Top the leaves with the chicken slices, berries, mozzarella pieces and toasted pumpkin seed.
- Drizzle with the remaining dressing and it is ready to serve.
Notes
-
- It is best to dress this salad just prior to serving.
- You can easily double this recipe if you are wanting to make it for four people.
- We used mixed lettuce leaves in this recipe but you can also use baby spinach or rocket (arugula) instead.
- You can use any fruit you like in this salad in place of the berries. Some great alternatives are mango, peaches, apple or grapes.
- You can use any grilled or shredded chicken in place of the smoked chicken in this salad.
- You can use any cheese you prefer in this smoked chicken salad. Some great alternatives to mozzarella would be feta, goat’s cheese, Boursin or blue cheese.
- You can use other nuts or seeds in place of the pumpkin seeds in this recipe if you prefer.
- This recipe is naturally low carb if you use berries in the salad. To reduce the carbohydrates further you could use avocado in place of the berries in this recipe.
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