Receta Avocado and Chicken Caprese Salad
Hey all, hope you’re having a happy Labor Day weekend!
It’s been an eventful couple of days ’round these parts. First of all, someone turned one month old on Friday, which I can hardly even believe. I feel like we just brought Lincoln home from the hospital last week! On one hand I can’t wait for fun milestones like giggling and reaching for me with both arms, but on the other hand I want him to stay my snuggly newborn forever. Oh what a struggle.
On Saturday I spent the day at a hog farm in northeast Iowa (not kidding) for Join My Journey. It was so hard to leave L for the first time (and a sad Jewel song I heard on the radio while driving there definitely caused some tears to flow!) but I ended up having a great time and loved meeting the farm family. Getting to hold one of their 4-day-old baby piglets, which I fondly referred to as Wilbur, was a highlight too. So. Stinking. Cute!
Yesterday the whole family convened at my parents house for Sunday lunch. My Mom made a fresh pomodoro pasta, but the real showstopper was dessert…
Mini S’more Pies! Do you guys want the recipe?
These mini graham cracker pie shells filled with chocolate and marshmallows, then finished with a chocolate drizzle on top were as lip smackingly-delish as they were absolutely adorable.
Finn, who had chocolate smeared across his entire face after devouring asked, “Did you love yours, Aunt Kristin?” Yes, Finn, yes I did!
Afterwards Ben and I headed home and ended the evening with a nice long walk on some nearby trails. The heat finally broke on Sunday and it was a gorgeous, breezy 73 degrees. Pure bliss after the furnace-esque weather we’ve been facing this past week.
To wrap up this Labor Day weekend I thought I’d share a very un-laborious recipe, if you will. Avocado and Chicken Caprese Salad could not be easier to make and is one of the tastiest salads I’ve made pretty much, um, ever. I actually created it when I was cleaning out the fridge last week, shared it on Instagram, then had so many requests for the recipe that I decided to go ahead and share it on the blog!
I guess I’m using the word “recipe” very loosely here. There’s no need for measuring – just combine fresh ingredients like creamy avocado and seasoned chicken breats, with classic Caprese fixin’s like tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella cheese, then drizzle with a heavy dose of reduced balsamic vinegar. This salad is HEAVEN!
Start with the chicken. I sauteed garlic salt and pepper-seasoned chicken breasts for dinner once last week and just cooked an extra one to put on top of this salad. Chop the chicken up then place it on a bed of crunchy romaine lettuce.
I liked adding chicken to this Caprese Salad because while Ben appreciates the combo of tomato, mozzarella, and basil as much as the next guy, a salad lacking protein is not a meal, in his humble opinion.
Next add juicy cherry tomatoes that have been cut in half.
I am drowning in tomatoes at the moment! Between the farmers’ market, my Mom’s garden, and my sister-in-law’s garden, I could eat tomatoes everyday for a month and still have some leftover. I chose my sister-in-law’s uber-sweet Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes for this salad. They really are the best tomatoes ever.
Next add fresh mozzarella. You could chop up a ball of mozz or go the super-easy route and buy these precious fresh mozzarella “pearls”. Love ‘em!
Now add chopped avocado. I had a few that were nearing use-or-lose status, which is why I initially added ‘em to the salad. LOVED the creamy texture, and cool flavor they added.
Finally add tons of fresh torn basil, and a extra heavy drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar on top, which will act like salad dressing. I used leftover balsamic reduction from my Fresh Peach Crostini with Whipped Honey Feta and Balsamic Reduction. The reduction will keep just fine in the fridge for quite some time (I don’t know exactly how long because it never lasts more than a few days in my house.)
That’s it! SO HARD, right?! #not
Avocado and Chicken Caprese Salad
Ingredients:
- Romaine lettuce
- Cherry tomatoes, halved
- Avocado, chopped
- Fresh mozzarella, chopped
- Chicken breasts, chopped (I used garlic salt & pepper-seasoned, sauteed chicken breasts)
- Fresh torn basil
Balsamic reduction
Directions:
Top plates of lettuce with tomatoes, avocado, fresh mozzarella cheese, chicken, and basil. Drizzle balsamic reduction on top then serve.
Enjoy this salad, and the rest of your holiday weekend!