California Chicken, Avocado, and Goat Cheese Salad.
Bringing the sunshine today with this Cali inspired California Chicken, Avocado, and Goat Cheese Salad.
Because let’s be real, sometimes, ok most of the time, Mondays need a little brightness added to them and this salad is going to do that for you. Promise.
I mean, do you see all the fun colors? It’s spring in a bowl and I love it!
First off, how was everyone’s weekend? After Friday’s cold snow, the sun finally decided to come out on Saturday and even though it was a bit chilly, I did get outside for a moment to do some fun things…meaning head out for hike, discover some flowers that are finally starting to pop up, and head to Whole Foods to stock up for the week…okOK, and buy all the fresh flowers they had, yeahhh! Perfect chill weekend, which I am personally all about. I know some people love to live up their weekends, and that’s definitely super fun, but sometimes chill is where it’s at. Or at least that’s my thinking. Plus, I have some busy weeks/weekends coming up, one of which will be spent in San Diego for my cousin Abby’s graduation celebration and I could not be more excited about it! Therefore, I am in GO mode trying to get ahead on work things. Super fun things I am excited to soon share, but for today, we need to talk about this salad.
This salad that is full of so many flavors and fun spring produce. It’s been my semi weekly go-to dinner for the last two weeks and I still cannot get enough of it.
SO, I think it’s no secret that I’m a California dreamer through and through. Don’t get me wrong, I love Colorado, but I long for southern California’s sunshine and eighty degree days in late April (that was their forecast over the weekend…so jealous). With both my brother and two cousins living in Cali (Kai is in LA, while Abby and Matt are in San Diego), I get a pretty good taste of the style of foods they are exposed to. It’s not really hard to figure out though, tons of fresh produce, grilled meats, avocado on everything, tacos, tacos, and more tacos, smoothies everyday, juice stands on every corner, loaded salads and farmers markets every day of the week.
So this is my take on a super fresh California salad. It’s packed with my favorite seasoned grilled chicken, fresh greens, the prettiest watermelon radishes, strawberries, avocado, herbed goat cheese, and a simple honey balsamic vinaigrette.
The chicken is one I’ve been making for years and years. It’s seasoned perfectly with fresh basil and parsley, garlic, and a little smoked paprika. You can let the chicken marinate in the mix, or if in a hurry, just throw it on the grill after a minute or two. If I am able to get it together enough to be able to plan ahead, I’ll marinate the chicken in the morning, then grill it that night for dinner. Once you have the chicken grilled, just throw everything into a salad bowl and start eating.
Super easy, but yet still full of so much flavor, texture, and heartiness. The combo of the chicken, avocado, strawberries, goat cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette is honestly just so good. You guys all know that I love pairing my fruits with savory foods, and trust me when I say, the strawberries are what make this salad complete. Everything together just works so well.
My suggestion? Add a side of chips and guacamole…you know, to really complete the whole “California” inspired meal.
Plus, when are chips and guac ever not a good idea?
Also, the chicken is truly great for so many things. You can serve it on its own with a side of rice or maybe toss it into a pasta or even skewer it for an upcoming summertime BBQ. The options are endless.
Random Monday Talk: as I type this, my cat is acting like a crazy cat on one too many drugs. Honestly guys, I think my cat may be worse than a having a puppy in the house (and he will be 2 this summer!). His energy level is INSANE and he gets into everything…boxes, food, the garbage, I’m talking everything and anything. He once ate through the pretzel bag, countless packages of corn tortillas, tore through a sealed box full of bubble wrap, and ate his way through the actual bag of cat food. I’ve never seen anything like it. And yes, he does go outside now that the snow has melted so you’d think that would release some energy….send help.
Random talk over.
What do you guys think? Monday salads in or the win?
Thinkings all fingers point to yes please!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
California Chicken, Avocado and Goat Cheese Salad
By halfbakedharvest
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken salad, Goats cheese salad
A fresh and delicious chicken salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken tenders
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried)
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried)
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper
- 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, halved
- 2 watermelon radishes, thinly slice
- 2 Persian cucumbers, sliced
- 4 ounces herbed goat cheese, crumbled
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1/2 cup roasted almonds, chopped
- large handful micro greens, sprouts, and or edible flowers, for serving
Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- pinch of cayenne (to taste)
- kosher salt and pepper
Instructions
-
1. In a bowl, combine the chicken, olive oil, garlic, parsley, basil, paprika, onion powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper. For added flavor, allow the chicken to marinate 1 hour or overnight.
2. Preheat your grill, grill pan or cast iron skillet to medium high and brush the grates with oil.
3. Grill the chicken for 5-8 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the grill and thinly slice the chicken.
4. In a large salad bowl, toss together the lettuce, strawberries, radishes, and cucumbers. Add the chicken on top of the salad along with the goat cheese, avocado, almonds, and a handful of micro greens. Serve with the honey balsamic (below).
Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
-
1. In a glass jar, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, honey, cayenne, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Seal the jar and shake well. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Keep stored in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Just don’t forget the chips and guac…
Gorgeous! This is definitely my kind of lunch and I adore berries with salads!
You and me both!! Thanks Tori!
Your salads are always super gorge. But this one I am absolutely drooling over! Totally adding to my weekly meal plan next week for sure!
YES!! So happy you like them all and this one!! Thanks Amanda, hope its delish!!
This salad has all the good things in it! Love it!
Thank you!
Wow!! There’s so much to love about this gorgeous salad!!! Really great combo of ingredients!!
Thank you Deborah! This is one of my new favorites (:
Looks delicious and totally a propos for a Monday!
Can’t believe you still have snow..!
Ah right!? Its crazy!
So happy you like it though Maëva, thanks!
i am a born and raised california girl and this looks absolutely amazng, its a gorgeous day here, I think I will make this tonight.
YES! So happy you like it Tammy, hope it is delicious!
Love this Tieghan! That salad looks beautiful! And congrats on the feature in Shape Mag. The pizzas sound amazing and the photos are stunning. Different style of photo and lighting… but I love it. Just goes to show how talented and versatile your skills are! Well done!
Awh, thank you so much Debs! I’m really excited about it (:
So happy you like the salad 🙂
as someone in southern california, this weekend was hot. i was ready to retreat into a/c at 10am yesterday, even though i was about to start a hike. anyways, this salad sounds perfect for this kind of weather, especially with all that crunchy radish and cucumber, juicy strawberries and creamy avocado!
THAT SOUNDS AMAZING!! So jealous!
Anyways, hope you get to make the salad, thanks Heather (:
This is totally my type of salad filled with so much color and texture. It’s perfect for spring and summer, and I can’t want to try these!
Yum, I add fruit to my salads too, but my brother thinks I’m crazy, this looks amazing, I love the thought of basil and paprika. mmmmmm?
Ah no! Not crazy, its delish! So happy you like it Alexandra! Thank you.
Such a pretty salad Tieghan! And I love that list of ingredients! That chicken looks awesome!
Thank you Mary Ann, i’m so happy you like it (:
Just gorgeous! I need this salad in my life (and the love those pretty spring strawberries!) 🙂
Hope you got to try it, thank you so much Laura!
This looks beautiful!
thank you Sara!
Tieghan the dressing is fabulous and yet so simple!
I will be sure to duplicate this recipe .
Awh, thank you so much! I hope you love it Susan!
I love how you stack the food in the most elegant efficient way. Kudos. I am looking forward to making this chicken even aside from preparing the salad. So lovely.
Thank you so much Cindy! I really hope you love it! (:
Yep reading this as we have a little hail storm in Denver and my sis in southern California was posting pics of giant strawberries from a local fruit stand! We’re getting close though and summers in Colorado cannot be beat! This looks incredible (we love your salad recipe with grilled peaches), can’t wait to try it!
Haha, its crazy weather here! Jealous of California! You are right though, we have amazing summers!
Thank you so much Jenna!
I finally got to make this recipe last night and it was delicious! And even though there was barely had any time to marinate the chicken it was still so flavorful! Definitely looking forward to the leftovers tonight. Great combination of flavors and a quick and easy prep, thanks Tieghan!
Ah so happy it was good! Thanks so much for making it Lisa!
Your food looks so beautiful! Of course it looks delicious, but love the extra detail with your garnishes. What are your favorite edible flowers? I’d love to know more about you incorporating them into your meals! Do you pick them for extra happy pops of color in your meals? Or do you try to pair different ones for different flavor combos?
I live in Portland, OR and I have a friend who recently went through a wilderness survival camp and has been foraging a lot of food for fun, made me a lot more interested in trying different “new” ideas to add to my meals.
Thanks for your inspiration!
I made this recently for a dinner party and it was a big hit! Love all your recipes
YAY so happy it was a hit! Thanks Katelyn!
One of the best salads I’ve ever made. So good!
Thank you so much Leslie!
I still search for this recipe all the time for the salad dressing. It’s the best!! Making this salad tonight <3
Thank you so much Stevie! xTieghan
Love your colorful recipe! How come you did not cut the meat? I know it is great for the photos, but you would not really serve it this way, would you.
Hey Sandra, Yes, I would certainly serve the salad this way. Everyone can cut their own meat and I used chicken tenders, so they are small as is. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I made this for supper tonight and it was a huge hit with the family. I used dried herbs in the marinade and marinaded the chicken for 4 hours. It will be in the regular dinner rotation!
I am so glad it turned out so well for you all! Thank you for making this! xTieghan
I make this salad at least twice a month! All of my faves in one bowl, plus a zesty dressing. Thanks for sharing this!
Thank you for trying this! I am so glad it turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This salad was INCREDIBLE, Tieghan! My husband and I scarfed it down. The dressing with the chicken with the berries and goat cheese…literally could not be better. Thanks for this!
Thank you so much Marien! xTieghan