RESET360 with Camille McLaughlin
August Pick: Salads

Chopped Chicken and Vegetable Salad

Gently poached chicken and crisp August vegetables cut to the same small dice and tossed in a sharp oregano and Dijon vinaigrette.

Why you'll love Chopped Chicken and Vegetable Salad

A chopped salad puts everything in every forkful: tender chicken, crisp romaine, cucumber, sweet red pepper, cherry tomatoes, radishes, and celery, all cut to the same small dice and tossed in a sharp oregano vinaigrette. It is the salad for August, when the market is full of peppers and tomatoes and the kitchen is too warm for the oven.

The chicken is poached, which keeps the heat low and the meat tender. It starts in cold, well-salted water with bay leaves, peppercorns, and garlic and heats gently, so the outside cooks at the same pace as the center, and then it rests in the warm liquid, where it stays juicy and picks up seasoning. Cutting everything to about 1/2 inch is the other half of the technique: when the pieces match, the dressing coats them evenly and every bite tastes the same.

Roasted sunflower seeds add crunch and a little more fat. Keep the dressing separate and the salad packs for three days of lunches.

Quick overview: This Chopped Chicken and Vegetable Salad takes 25 min of hands-on time and about 1 hr 15 min in all and makes 4 servings, each about 2 1/2 cups. You'll need a saucepan.

Jump to recipe

Chopped chicken and vegetable salad with sunflower seeds
Prep 25 minCook 35 minChill 15 minTotal 1 hr 15 minServes 4Serving about 2 1/2 cupsYou'll need Saucepan

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large)
  • 1 tbsp fine sea salt for the poaching water, plus 1/2 tsp for the dressing
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp whole black peppercorns, plus freshly ground pepper for the dressing
  • 2 cloves garlic, 1 smashed and 1 finely grated
  • 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard Label: mustard seed, vinegar, water, and salt
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large romaine heart, chopped
  • 1 small English cucumber, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 2 ribs celery, diced
  • 6 radishes, diced
  • 1/4 small red onion, finely diced
  • 1/3 cup chopped parsley
  • 1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds

Instructions

  1. Poach the chicken: Lay the chicken in a saucepan wide enough to hold it in one layer and cover it with cold water by 1 inch. Add the tablespoon of salt, the bay leaves, the peppercorns, and the smashed garlic. Bring it just to a simmer over medium heat, then lower the heat so the water barely bubbles, cover, and cook for 12 to 18 minutes, until the thickest part reads 165°F (74°C). Starting cold and keeping the bubbles lazy cooks the breast evenly from edge to center, while a hard boil would tighten it and dry it out.
  2. Rest and chill: Turn off the heat and let the chicken sit in the warm liquid for 10 minutes, then lift it onto a plate. Resting in the liquid lets the juices settle back into the meat. Refrigerate it for 15 minutes, until cool enough to dice cleanly.
  3. Make the dressing: Put the grated garlic, vinegar, Dijon, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and plenty of ground pepper in a jar, add the olive oil, and shake hard until thick and creamy. The mustard emulsifies the oil and vinegar so the dressing clings to every piece.
  4. Chop the vegetables: While the chicken chills, cut the romaine, cucumber, bell pepper, celery, radishes, and tomatoes to about 1/2 inch, and finely dice the red onion. Matching sizes is what makes a chopped salad: every forkful picks up a little of everything.
  5. Dice the chicken: Cut the chicken into 1/2-inch pieces to match the vegetables.
  6. Toss and serve: Put everything except the sunflower seeds in a large bowl with the parsley, pour over most of the dressing, and toss well. Taste and add the rest if it needs it. Scatter the sunflower seeds over the top just before serving so they stay crunchy.

Storage and leftovers

Undressed, the chopped vegetables and the chicken keep in separate sealed containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The dressing holds raw garlic in oil, so keep it refrigerated and use it within 4 days, shaking it again before using, since olive oil firms up when cold.

Once dressed, the salad is best within a few hours, as the romaine softens and the tomatoes release their juice.

Variations

  • Turkey: Poach a boneless turkey breast cutlet the same way, to 165°F (74°C).
  • Greek-style: Add kalamata olives and crumbled feta and use lemon juice in place of the vinegar.
  • Creamy: Whisk 2 tablespoons of plain whole-milk Greek yogurt into the dressing.
  • Leftover chicken: Use 3 cups of diced roast chicken and skip the poaching.
  • Avocado: Fold in a diced avocado just before serving.

Notes and tips

  • Start in cold water: Chicken that heats with the water cooks evenly from the edge to the center.
  • Keep it at a bare simmer: Small, lazy bubbles keep chicken breast tender and juicy.
  • Save the poaching liquid: It is a light, seasoned broth. Cool it, refrigerate it for up to 3 days, and use it for soup.
  • Dry the greens: Spin or pat the romaine dry so the dressing coats it at full strength.

Nutrition and mindful eating

  • Chicken breast brings complete protein, niacin, and vitamin B6, and poaching keeps it tender with only water and aromatics in the pan.
  • Peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, radish, and celery bring fiber, water, and vitamin C, and a red bell pepper is one of the richest sources of vitamin C in the produce aisle.
  • Olive oil is the real fat in the dressing, and it helps your body absorb the carotenoids in the peppers and tomatoes.
  • Sunflower seeds add crunch along with vitamin E and a little more fat and protein.
  • As you eat, notice how much chewing a chopped salad asks of you and how that slows the meal down, and check in midafternoon: a salad built on this much protein should still have you comfortably full 3 to 4 hours later, with steady energy.

Frequently asked questions

Have a question about this Chopped Chicken and Vegetable Salad? Start here, with the questions people ask most.

Can I use chicken thighs?

Yes. Poach boneless, skinless thighs the same way for 15 to 18 minutes, until they reach 165°F (74°C). They are richer and stay juicy even longer.

How do I know the chicken is done?

An instant-read thermometer in the thickest part should read 165°F (74°C), and the center should be white and opaque all the way through.

Can I make it ahead?

Yes. Poach the chicken and chop the vegetables up to 3 days ahead, keep the dressing separate, and toss just before serving.

What other vegetables work?

Blanched green beans, snap peas, fennel, or jicama all chop and toss well. Keep them to the same 1/2-inch size.

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Tags: August Pick, Salads, American, Dairy-Free