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Antipasto Salad with Grilled Chicken and Basil Pesto Vinaigrette

by Katerina Petrovska

5 from 6 votes

Jun 20, 2018, Updated Feb 26, 2020

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A delicious salad packed with grilled chicken, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and pepperoncini – all tossed in an amazing homemade Basil Pesto Vinaigrette. A keto lunch idea you’re sure to love.

ANTIPASTO SALAD

This Italian inspired Antipasto Salad is fresh, hearty and full of flavor, perfect for when you’ve got some chicken on the grill, or even chicken leftovers from the night before. It is a terrific main dish salad bursting with amazing flavors and textures.

Antipasto Salad is one of my favorite summer starters. Add some grilled chicken to it, and it becomes my most favorite summer meal. Top it off with a homemade Basil Pesto Vinaigrette, that also acts as marinade, and you’ve got the perfect main-meal salad combination.

But, lest not forget! A juicy and succulent piece of grilled skinless chicken breast also begs for a flavorful marinade.

Basil Pesto Vinaigrette/Marinade.

A combination of basil pesto, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, infuses the chicken with high-impact flavor.

To begin, whisk together all of the marinade/dressing ingredients; put half of it in the fridge to use later as a dressing, and pour the other half in a ziploc bag and toss in the chicken breasts. Put aside for 30 minutes, or for up to 2 hours.

HOW TO GRILL CHICKEN BREASTS

When ready to cook the chicken, preheat the grill to 400F and brush grill grates with oil.

Remove chicken from marinade and place on the hot grill; cook without touching for about 5 minutes, or until grill marks appear.

Flip the chicken, cover the grill, and continue to cook until done; about 7 more minutes.

HOW TO MAKE AN ANTIPASTO SALAD

Chop up about 4 cups of Romaine Lettuce and place it in a large salad bowl.

Add fresh mozzarella cheese balls on top of the chopped lettuce, as well as halved cherry tomatoes and pickled pepperoncini. When chicken is done, let stand about 5 minutes before cutting it into strips.

Add the chicken strips to the salad and top with previously prepared salad dressing. Toss and serve.

VARIATIONS: You can also stir in some chopped black olives and artichoke hearts, and use a store-bought Italian salad dressing in place of the homemade Basil Pesto Vinaigrette.

MORE MAIN COURSE SALADS:

• Italian Pasta Salad Recipe
• Steak Salad with Dijon Balsamic Dressing
• Bacon, Crab and Avocado Salad
• Cranberry Chicken Salad with Light Dijon Parmesan Dressing
• Apples and Celery Pasta Salad with Light Caesar Dressing

ENJOY!

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5 from 6 votes

Antipasto Salad

by Katerina Petrovska

This fresh and delicious antipasto salad is packed with grilled chicken, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and pepperoncini, tossed in a homemade vinaigrette.

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients 

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For the Vinaigrette Dressing

• ▢ ½ cup store-bought Basil Pesto
• ▢ ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ▢ Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

For the Chicken

• ▢ 1 pound (4 pieces) boneless skinless chicken breasts

For the Salad

• ▢ 4 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
• ▢ 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• ▢ 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese balls
• ▢ 1 cup pickled pepperoncini

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Instructions 

• Make the dressing. In a bowl, combine pesto, olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice; add salt and pepper to taste, and whisk until combined. Pour half of the dressing into a ziploc bag. Place the other half in the fridge.
• Marinate the chicken. Add the chicken breasts to the ziploc bag, seal it, and shake it all up until well combined. Place the chicken in the fridge for 30 minutes, or for up to 2 hours.
• Prepare to grill. When you're ready to cook your chicken, preheat the grill to 400ºF. Brush grill grates with olive oil.
• Grill the chicken. Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade and place them on the hot grill. Cook without touching until the chicken breasts start getting some grill marks, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken breasts over, cover the grill, and let them finish cooking, about 7 more minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken. Chicken is done when a meat thermometer registers 165ºF.
• Rest. Remove the chicken from the grill. Cover and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Assemble the Salad

• Start with lettuce. In the meantime, prepare the salad and transfer the chopped lettuce to a large salad bowl.
• Add antipasto. Next, top the lettuce with tomatoes, cheese, and pepperoncini.
• Add the chicken. Cut the chicken breasts into strips and add them to the salad.
• Dress the salad. Pour the remaining basil pesto dressing over the salad; toss to combine. Serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 316mg | Potassium: 464mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3360IU | Vitamin C: 25.9mg | Calcium: 188mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

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