Italian Chicken Salad With Almonds: Easy, Nutritious And Satisfying
This Italian Chicken Salad is a vibrant and flavorful dish that combines tender shredded chicken with crisp vegetables, toasted almonds, and a zesty lemon-thyme dressing. It’s perfect for a light lunch or dinner, offering a delightful mix of textures and Mediterranean-inspired flavors.
This Italian Chicken Salad combines tender shredded chicken with vibrant vegetables and a medley of bold flavors. Sweet yellow or orange bell peppers, tangy capers, and toasted almonds add a delightful crunch and zest, while fresh thyme and a lemon-olive oil dressing tie everything together with a light, Mediterranean touch. Perfect as a refreshing lunch, a side dish, or a topping for greens, this salad is as nutritious as it is satisfying.
Italian Chicken Salad Ingredients
The ingredients for this salad are really simple.
- Chicken Breasts: If you had chicken for dinner yesterday and have leftovers, you can use them for this salad. If not, I suggest cooking the chicken 1 or 2 hours before eating the salad. You can cook the chicken in the oven, or you can even boil it.
- Red Bell Peppers: they are a great source of vitamin C, potassium, vitamin A, and low in calories.
- Red onions: are a good source of vitamins B6, C, and K, they also prevent constipation, and they contain magnesium, potassium, manganese, folate, and calcium.
- Celery: contains antioxidants, vitamin C, beta carotene, and flavonoids
- Almonds: have potassium, magnesium and vitamin E.
- Capers: are rich in antioxidants that may reduce inflammation and protect against cancer, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
- Lemon: among the benefits, lemon helps in digestive health and controls weight
- Thyme: contains a lot of vitamin C, potassium and manganese
Recipe Notes
For added flavor, marinate the chicken breasts in olive oil, lemon juice, and thyme for a few hours before cooking.
Substitute or add other vegetables like cherry tomatoes or cucumbers for more variety.
This salad can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Just add the dressing before serving to keep the ingredients fresh and crisp.
Suggested Side Dishes
Garlic Bread: Warm, crispy garlic bread is a perfect complement to this Italian Chicken Salad, adding a hearty and savory touch.
Caprese Salad: A simple Caprese salad with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze pairs wonderfully with the flavors of the chicken salad.
Roasted Vegetables: A medley of roasted vegetables such as zucchini, eggplant, and cherry tomatoes can enhance the meal with additional textures and flavors.
Quinoa: A side of cooked quinoa can provide a nutritious and satisfying addition, perfect for soaking up the delicious lemon-thyme dressing.
Minestrone Soup: A light minestrone soup can offer a warm and comforting side to the fresh and crisp salad.
Italian Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
- 2 yellow or orange bell peppers thinly sliced
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced
- 1 celery rib chopped
- ¼ cup slivered almonds toasted
- 1 tablespoon drained capers
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme minced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook and shred the chicken breasts. Thinly slice the bell peppers and red onion, and chop the celery.
- In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast the slivered almonds until golden brown, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, minced thyme, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, bell peppers, red onion, celery, toasted almonds, and capers.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to combine, ensuring all ingredients are evenly coated.
- Divide the salad into servings and enjoy
Notes
How to Store Italian Chicken Salad
Refrigeration:
Transfer the salad to an airtight container to keep it fresh and prevent it from absorbing other refrigerator odors.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.
Tips for Best Quality:
If preparing in advance, keep the dressing separate and mix it in just before serving to maintain the crispness of the vegetables.
Avoid adding delicate greens, like arugula or spinach, until right before serving to prevent wilting.
Freezing (Not Recommended):
Due to the fresh vegetables and lemon juice, freezing is not ideal as it can alter the texture and flavor of the salad.
Proper storage ensures your Italian Chicken Salad stays fresh, flavorful, and ready to enjoy whenever you need it!
