Chopped Kale & Chicken Crunch Salad with Pesto Dressing

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Sometimes a crisp crunchy salad is all I want for dinner. Chopped Kale and Chicken Crunch Salad with Pesto Dressing is a complete meal. Full of crunch from a medley of fresh vegetables, this large salad has a high protein content with kale and leafy greens, chicken, chickpeas, almonds, and two different kinds of cheese.

this recipe

The creamy pesto dressing is made with ricotta cheese and flavored with orange which pairs well with kale, adding a touch of brightness.

Jump to:

• Why Make This Kale & Chicken Salad
• Ingredients
• Blending the Dressing
• Tossing the salad
• Substitutions
• FAQ's
• Elevate your Salad Game
• Recipe

Why Make This Kale & Chicken Salad

There are many reasons to love this salad!

• Fresh kale is a nutrient dense and healthy green that stays crisp for a crunchy salad.
• In one bite of a chopped salad, you get many of the ingredients. So much variety gives each bite a different taste.
• Both ricotta and pecorino romano are high protein cheeses.
• There are many crunchy vegetables for a lot of texture that can hold up to dressing.
• The orange juice helps to offset the bitterness of the kale.
• The easy kale salad recipe requires very little cooking and not a lot of meal prep. This quick recipe uses convenience products like rotisserie chicken, bagged broccoli slaw, and canned chickpeas.

Ingredients

Salad

This kale crunch salad recipe offers a delightful combination of flavors, textures, and nutrients, making it a healthy choice for a satisfying meal.

Baby Kale - The tender leaves of baby kale are hearty, perfect for a salad.

Baby Spinach - The delicate baby leaves are full of the same nutritional benefits as mature spinach.

Red Leaf Lettuce - Red leaf lettuce adds some texture from its curly edges as well as interesting color.

Grilled Chicken Breast - Take advantage of the deli section in your grocery store. Grilled or rotisserie chicken is a great convenience product. However, this is a perfect recipe for leftover chicken.

Broccoli Slaw - Bagged broccoli slaw is another great time saver. Adds some healthy crunch.

Chickpeas - These nutrient dense legumes, are full of creamy texture with a nutty and buttery flavor.

Red Onion - Adds a sweet/sharp bite.

Bell Peppers - Thinly sliced bell pepper adds bright color and mild sweet flavor.

Almonds - Whole roasted and salted almonds bring some crunch, depth of flavor, and protein. They are high in fiber and are loaded with antioxidants.

Naval Orange - Every part of the orange is used - the zest, segments, and juice. Adds a needed pop of flavor and acid.

Pecorino Romano - This protein rich cheese is an ingredient in the creamy pesto dressing and tossed in the salad.

Dressing

Fresh Basil - Brings a fresh herbaceous flavor with aroma and a vivid color.

Ricotta Cheese - Protein rich and creamy, ricotta cheese is sweet but mild. It blends well with the basil and the orange juice.

Almonds - The almonds add some healthy unsaturated fats to the dressing.

Pecorino Romano - Grated, pecorino brings it salty flavor to partner with the basil.

Orange Zest and Juice - The juice provides needed acid to the salad and the zest is full of concentrated flavor.

Garlic - Always a great flavor enhancer.

Blending the Dressing

Before blending the dressing, chop the baby kale into small pieces and massage it for 2-3 minutes. This will remove some of the bitterness. Combine it with the spinach and red leaf lettuce and rinse under cold water. Place the greens in a salad spinner to remove excess water. Refrigerate while you prepare the other ingredients.

The creamy pesto dressing comes together quickly in a blender or a food processor.

• Crush the garlic clove into a few large piece.
• Place the garlic, ricotta cheese, almonds, orange zest and juice, and grated pecorino romano in the blender jar. Process for 1 ½ minutes until the mix is smooth.

• Add the basil leaves, kosher salt, and ground black pepper to the jar and process with the ricotta mixture. Process for 1 ½ minutes until the dressing is very smooth and everything is incorporated.
• The recipe makes ¾ cup which is plenty for the salad.

Tossing the salad

In just a few steps you will have a delicious big salad. The kale salad recipe makes 4 very generous portions.

• Using a vegetable peeler, slice very thin shards of pecorino romano.

• Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
• Thinly slice the red onion and the bell pepper.
• Remove the peel from the orange. Cut the individual orange segments from the membrane. Hold the orange in your hand and with a sharp knife, carefully cut between the segment and the membrane. Get as close as possible to the membrane. Repeat the same step on the other side of the segment. Continue around the entire orange. Cut the segments in half.

• Squeeze the remaining parts of the orange, all the membrane pieces, to extract any remaining juice. How much juice you can squeeze out is dependent on the size of the orange. You may need to add some bottled OJ.
• In a large bowl, add the chilled greens and season with ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt and a pinch of ground black pepper.

• Combine salad ingredients - chicken, broccoli slaw, chickpeas, thinly sliced red onion, almonds, thinly sliced bell pepper, and orange segments - with the chilled greens in the bowl and toss to distribute.
• Add ½ cup of the creamy pesto dressing to the salad and gently toss to coat all the ingredients. You can always add the last ¼ cup of the dressing if you think the salad is dry.

• Garnish the salad with the pecorino romano shards.

Substitutions

Salads are a great way to use what you have on hand. Check your refrigerator, you may have items that can be tasty substitutions. Here are a few suggestions.

1. Coleslaw mix is another convenience product that would taste great. The mix of green cabbage, purple cabbage, and carrots adds some crunchy texture.
2. You can use other types of kale - curly kale or lacinato kale also known as Tuscan kale or dinosaur kale. If using these types, cut the kale into small pieces and massage for about 3 minutes. This helps to break the cell walls making the kale more tender and releasing some of the bitterness.
3. You can use lemon juice and zest rather than orange. This will change the flavor profile of the dressing but it will still be a delicious addition to the salad.
4. If the dressing is too thick for you, add a teaspoon of olive oil at a time until it is a consistency you enjoy.

FAQ's

Elevate your Salad Game

Vibrant and colorful, a Chopped Kale & Chicken Crunch Salad with Pesto Dressing is a delicious combination of complementary flavors and textures.

This healthy, high protein salad is filling, satisfying, and hearty enough to be a meal.

Here is a recipe for another delicious salad made with chicken- https://tenpoundcakecompany.com/chicken-avocado-mango-salad/

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