Chicken Caprese Salad by Erica

I still remember the first time I tasted a caprese-style salad. I was about 11 or 12, and we were eating supper at my parent’s friends’ house. A plate with neatly arranged slices of tomatoes, mozzarella, and red onions (if I remember correctly) graced the table. I wasn’t the most adventurous kid on the block when it came to food. So I eyed the dish warily, knowing that I would probably be required to try it. To my surprise, I found that I actually enjoyed it! It was fresh and flavorful in all the right ways.

Now, I know my first taste of caprese wasn’t strictly traditional. Purists will tell you that a caprese salad should consist only of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, salt and pepper, and olive oil. Maybe a bit of oregano. NO balsamic vinegar.

So technically this chicken salad is inspired by the flavors of caprese. I mean, I added chicken and grains as well, so obviously I’m not trying to recreate Insalata Caprese exactly. And I couldn’t help but add a balsamic vinaigrette to it, because I love it!

With that caveat aside, let me show you how to make this summery, satisfying salad!

 
 

Here are the basic ingredients that you’ll need: salad greens (I like arugula when I can get it), chicken, mozzarella pearls, basil, cherry tomatoes, couscous, and a balsamic vinaigrette.

Don’t feel bad about switching up the ingredients to your liking (or based on what you can find at the store). I used mozzarella pearls, but you can just dice up fresh mozzarella if that’s all you can get. I have used spinach for the salad greens; it was good, but not quite as good as arugula. You don’t have to use couscous for the grain, but I highly recommend it. I have also made it with black rice and penne pasta. Instructions for substituting rice or pasta are included in the recipe. I haven’t tried it personally, but I think you could also use quinoa or even cauliflower rice for a grain-free option.

The balsamic dressing is super simple: only 4 ingredients! You could also use a bottled balsamic vinaigrette if that’s what you have on hand.

 
 

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, chop the basil medium-fine, and slice the tomatoes in half. Then throw all of the salad ingredients into a very big bowl.

 
 

Give it a stir, and drizzle the dressing on top. Toss to coat everything evenly. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.

 
 

The salad will keep for about a day once it’s all mixed up. If you plan on eating it over a few days, I would suggest adding the greens and dressing just before serving.

 
 

You can actually use the base chicken caprese salad recipe to make other dishes as well. One of my favorites that I tried was this Chicken Caprese Pizza. Talk about flavorful!

 
 

I decided to drizzle it with a balsamic reduction (I left out the sugar) instead of the dressing. Seemed more pizza-ish?

My husband really liked this pizza, even though it isn’t the sort of thing he usually goes for!

 
 

Here’s how I made the pizza:

• Leave out the grain and the salad greens.
• Preheat oven to 500ºF. I used a heavy duty baking sheet as a baking “stone” of sorts.
• Brush your pizza crust with olive oil first.
• Bake the pizza with just the cheese and tomatoes for about 10 minutes before adding the chicken. This gives the tomatoes a chance to cook and the crust to get crispy before the chicken gets dry. Add the chicken and bake for 5 more minutes.
• Don’t add the basil until after the pizza comes out of the oven.
• Drizzle with a balsamic reduction to taste.

 
 

A great way to enjoy the flavors of caprese salad on-the-go is in a wrap sandwich!

 
 

Here’s how I made the sandwich wrap:

• Leave out the grain.
• First, I put down a good layer of spinach. You could use arugula as well, but spinach is what I had.
• Layer on the tomatoes, cheese, chicken, and basil.
• I actually recommend using larger tomatoes and sliced, fresh mozzarella for these wraps. Chopped basil would be fine, but why not just chuck on whole leaves if you can?
• Use the same balsamic dressing recipe as written in the basic chicken caprese salad recipe below.
• Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper if desired!

 
 

So those are my favorite ways to serve this Chicken Caprese Salad. How would YOU eat it? Share your ideas in the comments!