Chicken and White Bean Salad

Sometimes, it's great to have a big, fresh salad for lunch instead of that normal sandwich, bag of chips, elementary school lunch. I know it's easy to make those lunches (i'm guilty of it too) but I have recently started adding a salad to my lunch to switch it up and I have felt a little more refreshed and have had a different kind of energy to round out the rest of my work day. Sometimes, I'll make a salad for dinner and use the left overs for various lunches and dinners through out the rest of the week. From Eating Well, here's a collection of lunch salad recipes.


Chicken & White Bean Salad

Zucchini and celery give this chicken-and-bean salad a nice crunch. We like serving it over a bed of slightly bitter escarole and radicchio, but any type of salad greens will work. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.

4 servings, about 2 cups each

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

VINAIGRETTE
1 medium clove garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons fresh orange juice, plus more to taste
1/4 cup white-wine vinegar or red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

SALAD
1 15-ounce can cannellini or other white beans, rinsed and drained
2 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken breast (see Tip)
2 cups diced zucchini and/or summer squash (about 2 small)
1 1/2 cups diced celery
1/4 cup finely diced ricotta salata, halloumi (see Shopping Tip, above) or feta cheese
1/3 cup chopped, well-drained, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (optional)
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil, plus whole basil leaves for garnish
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste (optional)
2 cups torn escarole or romaine lettuce
2 cups torn radicchio leaves

PREPARATION
To prepare vinaigrette: Peel the garlic and smash with the side of a chef’s knife. Using a fork, mash the garlic with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl to form a coarse paste. Whisk in 5 tablespoons oil. Add 6 tablespoons orange juice, vinegar and mustard; whisk until well blended. Taste and whisk in up to 4 tablespoons more juice to mellow the flavor; season with more salt, if desired. Set aside at room temperature.
To prepare salad: Combine beans, chicken, zucchini (and/or summer squash), celery, cheese and sun-dried tomatoes (if using) in a large bowl until well blended. Add chopped basil and 3/4 cup vinaigrette; toss until combined. Taste and season with salt and/or pepper, if desired.
Toss the remaining vinaigrette with escarole (or romaine) and radicchio in a medium bowl. Serve the salad on the greens, garnished with fresh basil leaves.

TIPS & NOTES
Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 2 (omitting basil), cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Stir in chopped basil just before serving.
Tip: To poach chicken breasts, place about 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a medium skillet or saucepan. Add lightly salted water to cover and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer gently until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 10 to 15 minutes.
Ricotta salata and halloumi are both firm, salted cheeses that can be found at large supermarkets and cheese shops.

NUTRITION
Per serving: 428 calories; 23 g fat ( 5 g sat , 15 g mono ); 79 mg cholesterol; 24 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 34 g protein;
8 g fiber; 667 mg sodium; 648 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (47% daily value), Vitamin A (30% dv), Folate (21% dv), Potassium (18% dv)

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 vegetable, 4 lean meat, 3 fat