Grilled Chicken Salad with Parmesan Breadcrumbs

I love eating salads, but sometimes I balk at having to prep all the ingredients. I'm not sure why, since I normally don't mind recipes with lengthy ingredient lists. Luckily, this salad doesn't take much to put together. It is a deconstructed version of chicken parmesan. All the components are there - chicken, crispy breadcrumbs, mozzarella, and sauce. As long as you don't go heavy on the breadcrumbs, the dish stays much healthier than the original.


Grilled Chicken Salad with Parmesan Breadcrumbs
adapted from Food Network Magazine
July/August 2010


1 plum tomato, halved
4 sun-dried tomatoes, plus 1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 small garlic clove
1 tsp fresh oregano
1 bunch basil leaves, torn
4 Tbs grated parmesan cheese, divided
Salt and pepper

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 lb)
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
⅔ c panko crumbs
2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
8 c salad mix
4 oz. small mozzarella balls (bocconcini), sliced


Puree plum tomato, sun-dried tomatoes and olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, half the basil leaves, and 2 Tbs Parmesan cheese until smooth. Add a few tsp of water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Preheat grill to high. Halve the chicken breasts horizontally to make four thin cutlets. (If you can find thin-cut cutlets at your store, then you can skip this step.) Brush with 1 Tbs olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill chicken until marked on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Flip and grill another 3 minutes, or until cooked through. Let the meat rest on a cutting board.

Heat remaining 2 Tbs olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden. Remove from heat. Add remaining 2 Tbs Parmesan cheese and the parsley. Stir to combine.

Toss salad greens and remaining basil in a large bowl. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to the greens. Add mozzarella. Toss with the dressing and sprinkle with bread crumb mixture.