Grilled Balsamic Chicken and Avocado Bruschetta Salad: A Healthy & Flavorful Twist on a Classic
Welcome to a culinary adventure where a beloved appetizer transforms into a vibrant, satisfying main course! This **Grilled Balsamic Chicken and Avocado Bruschetta Salad** takes all the irresistible flavors of traditional bruschetta and reinvents them into a high-protein, healthy-fat-packed salad that will leave you feeling full, energized, and utterly delighted. Get ready for a flavor explosion that balances fresh ingredients with the rich, tangy notes of balsamic and the creamy goodness of avocado.
Forget everything you thought you knew about salads being “just greens.” This dish is a hearty, wholesome meal designed to tantalize your taste buds and nourish your body. It’s truly one of those recipes that will quickly become a household favorite, perfect for a quick lunch or an elegant dinner.
The Star of the Show: Perfectly Grilled Balsamic Chicken
At the heart of this incredible salad is the tender, juicy grilled balsamic chicken. We’re talking about succulent chicken breasts marinated in a luscious balsamic glaze, garlic, and a touch of sea salt. This simple yet powerful marinade infuses the chicken with a sweet, tangy, and deeply savory flavor that caramelizes beautifully on the grill or in a hot pan. Each bite of chicken adds a robust protein punch and a depth of flavor that complements the fresh salad components perfectly.
The balsamic glaze isn’t just a marinade; it’s a game-changer. It creates a slightly sticky, incredibly flavorful crust on the chicken, ensuring that every slice is bursting with taste. This expertly prepared chicken is what elevates the salad from good to absolutely unforgettable.
A Dressing with a Delightful Twist
And speaking of balsamic, the dressing for this salad is a carefully crafted blend that ties all the elements together. It’s a twist on a classic balsamic vinaigrette, designed to enhance rather than overpower. By combining balsamic glaze with a touch of water, minced garlic, and an optional hint of dried thyme, we achieve a dressing that’s both vibrant and balanced. It coats the greens and other ingredients with a subtle sweetness and tang, ensuring every mouthful is as delicious as the last.
The Bruschetta Inspiration: From Appetizer to Main Course
The genesis of this salad comes from a shared love for bruschetta. Picture this: a few days ago, as is our tradition, we ordered bruschetta at a restaurant. There’s something undeniably comforting and satisfying about the crisp bread, fresh tomatoes, and aromatic basil of a classic bruschetta. It’s an appetizer we simply *always* have to order – no exceptions!
That particular experience sparked an idea: what if we could capture that fresh, vibrant essence of bruschetta, but make it into a more substantial, complete meal? How could we enjoy those incredible flavors without the “building” process of traditional bruschetta, and incorporate more healthful elements like lean protein and healthy fats? The answer, as it turns out, was a salad – a deconstructed bruschetta salad, if you will, but with a delicious grilled chicken and creamy avocado upgrade.
The Creamy Indulgence: Avocado
No truly satisfying salad is complete without the creamy texture and healthy goodness of avocado. Thinly sliced, ripe avocado adds a rich, buttery counterpoint to the tangy dressing and crisp vegetables. It’s packed with monounsaturated fats, fiber, and essential nutrients, making this salad not just incredibly delicious but also wonderfully nourishing. The avocado is a key player in ensuring this salad is truly filling and leaves you satisfied.
A Salad That Truly Satisfies
This isn’t just any salad; it’s a meal that could easily become a staple in your diet. It’s so incredibly filling and healthy that you might find yourself craving it regularly. Of course, while I often joke about my “heavy addiction to brownies and chocolate and all things unholy,” this salad provides a wonderfully guilt-free indulgence that satisfies those cravings for rich, complex flavors in a wholesome way. It’s the perfect balance of fresh, crisp, savory, and sweet, ensuring a delightful culinary experience every time.
Deconstructed Bruschetta Bread: The Crunchy Companion
What’s bruschetta without its signature crunchy bread? For this salad, we take slices of hearty sourdough bread and brush them generously with garlic-infused olive oil (or even some leftover garlic butter from a delicious corn on the cob recipe for an extra layer of flavor). These slices are then grilled or toasted until they achieve that perfect golden-brown crispness. The result is a deconstructed bruschetta experience – all the satisfying crunch and garlicky aroma, without the fiddly assembly. Simply break the toasted bread into rustic pieces and scatter them over your salad, or serve them on the side for dipping.
Because, honestly, who *doesn’t* love crunchy, crispy bread to scoop up every last bit of their delicious salad? It adds an essential textural element that completes the bruschetta transformation.
A Versatile Meal for Any Time
This Grilled Balsamic Chicken and Avocado Bruschetta Salad is incredibly versatile. It makes for a substantial and satisfying lunch, keeping you fueled and focused throughout the afternoon. It’s equally fantastic as a light yet fulfilling dinner, perfect for those evenings when you want something flavorful and healthy without feeling heavy. Its vibrant colors and fresh ingredients also make it a wonderful dish to serve when entertaining, always impressing guests with its gourmet flair and delicious taste.
Bringing it All Together
Imagine crisp cos lettuce as the base, adorned with sweet halved grape tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion for a subtle bite, crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese for a salty tang, and a generous scattering of fresh basil leaves. Layer this vibrant mix with the grilled balsamic chicken slices and creamy avocado, then drizzle generously with the special balsamic dressing. A quick toss, and you’re ready to serve with those irresistible crunchy bruschetta pieces.
This salad isn’t just a meal; it’s an experience. It’s a testament to how simple, fresh ingredients, when thoughtfully combined, can create something truly extraordinary. Get ready to enjoy a healthy, high-protein, and incredibly flavorful dish that will quickly earn a permanent spot in your recipe rotation.
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Grilled Balsamic Chicken and Avocado Bruschetta Salad
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 2 fillets whole skinless and boneless chicken breasts trimmed of any fat
- 1 tablespoon garlic (or plain) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove garlic crushed
Bruschetta Bread:
- 1 loaf Cabiatta/Sourdough bread sliced into 1-inch thick slices
- 2 tablespoons Garlic olive oil (or Olive oil mixed with 1 clove garlic, minced or crushed); or Garlic Butter
- 1 teaspoon Dried Parsley
Salad:
- 1 head cos lettuce washed
- 7 oz grape tomatoes halved
- ½ medium red onion thinly sliced
- 3 1/2 oz reduced fat fresh Feta cheese
- 1 whole avocado thinly sliced
- 1 Handful fresh basil leaves
Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 clove garlic minced/crushed
- 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme (optional)
- 1 pinch salt to taste
Instructions
For Chicken:
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Combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and garlic together in a shallow bowl. Add the chicken breasts and evenly coat. Transfer the chicken breasts over to a nonstic pan heated over medium heat, Sauté until nice, crispy and golden on both sides and cooked through. Remove from heat; allow to cool slightly, and slice into 1-inch slices.
For Bread:
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Combine the oil with the herbs and garlic. Brush both sides of each bread slice; grill in a grill pan over medium heat on both sides until golden and crispy.
For Dressing:
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Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl/jug, and whisk until mixed through.
For Salad:
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Combine the lettuce, tomatoes, onion, Feta and basil together in a large salad bowl. Top with chicken slices and drizzle with the dressing. Toss to combine. Serve with crunchy Bruschetta pieces.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.