Our zesty garden salad recipe was inspired by a sub sandwich, but our version is SO. MUCH. BETTER. Salads do not have to be bland or boring, and this salad proves just that! The salad starts with chopped romaine and cucumber and is then piled high with the so many delicious toppings. I have been wanting to try this salad chopper from Amazon! It looks like it would be a total time saver! The homemade dressing we use is creamy and zesty with a touch of sweetness. The chicken is coated in pesto and the tomatoes are roasted for ultimate flavor. Next, lets talk about our marinated onions, they add tons of flavor, and the fresh mozzarella is a must add! Lastly, the cheesy panko bread crumbs really do top it all off! Are you convinced you need to try it yet?
Ingredients Needed for Zesty Garden Salad
Chicken breasts or Rotisserie chicken- I coated my chicken breasts in mixture of pesto and greek yogurt and cooked them in the air fryer. If you chose to use rotisserie chicken just toss it a bowl with some pesto!
Bacon
Romaine lettuce- Really any green could be substituted here! Spinach, spring mix or arugula would be great in this salad!
Cucumber
Cherry tomatoes- The cherry tomatoes are roasted for extra flavor, but if you prefer you could just add them to the salad raw.
Panko bread crumbs- First they are mixed with fresh grated parmesan cheese and italian seasoning and then baked in the oven for a few minutes to get nice and toasty!
Marinated Onions- Not to be confused with pickled onions. These are marinated in olive oil, red wine vinegar, and seasonings. They add SO much flavor to salads and sandwiches without the strong flavor of raw onion.
Fresh mozzarella
Dressing Ingredients: Dried herbs including basil, oregano, and thyme as well as, garlic, honey, olive oil, greek yogurt, and fresh lemon juice are all blended together to create a creamy, zesty dressing with the perfect amount of sweetness!
How to Make Marinated Onions
I first made these onions to add to a turkey wrap, and have kept a jar in my fridge ever since! The flavor they add to your wrap or salad is outstanding! These onions are the perfect addition to our zesty garden salad recipe! They only take a few minutes to make, and will stay fresh in the fridge for up to two weeks! You will need:
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
1 T dried oregano
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt
Combine all ingredients in a mason jar, shake or whisk to combine. Add onion and stir to coat. Let sit for at least 15 minutes before using. Cover and store in fridge for up to two weeks.
Zesty Garden Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 heads romaine chopped
- 2 cucumber diced
- 10 oz cherry tomatoes
- 2 T olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese freshly shredded
- 1 tsp italian seasoning
- 3 chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup greek yogurt plain
- 3 T pesto
- marinated onions to taste, recipe above
- fresh mozzarella to taste
Creamy Herb Dressing
- 1/2 tsp oregano dried
- 1/2 tsp basil dried
- 1/2 tsp thyme dried
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 3 T honey
- 4 T fresh lemon juice
- salt and pepper
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1 cup greek yogurt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour the cherry tomatoes on, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and move tomatoes to 1/2 of the sheet pan. Lay out a piece of foil on the other half and fold edges so bacon grease doesn't spread on tomatoes. Lay out four slices of bacon on to the foil. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
- Mix pesto and yogurt in a bowl and coat chicken breasts on both sides. Grill chicken or cook in the air fry at 380 for about 15 minutes or until cooked through. If using rotisserie chicken, shred it and toss in a bowl with pesto.
- Mix all dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Chop romaine and cucumber.
- Combine panko, italian seasoning and parmesan cheese in a bowl. After tomatoes have been roasting for about 20 minutes pour the bread crumbs on one end of the pan to toast for a couple minutes.
- When chicken is done cooking dice or shred it. Cool bacon and crumble.
- Layer everything in a bowl starting with romaine, cucumber, marinated onion, mozzarella, roasted tomatoes, bacon, chicken, dressing and breadcrumbs. Enjoy!
