Spinach Pesto & Chicken Salad

Everyone needs an easy salad recipe that tastes delicious and takes very little time. I try to eat salads a few times a week because the raw greens are so healthy and provide essential nutrients for gorgeous skin.

This Spinach Pesto & Chicken Salad recipe is a favorite of mine because it’s quick and easy.  When Isaac and I lived in Toronto we LOVED going to this vegan/vegetarian café called Fresh. They have the best salads, rice bowls, wraps and vegetarian burgers in Toronto. Just…so good.

So, when I heard that they had cookbooks featuring some of my favorite recipes from the restaurant I had to snatch them up. The cookbooks feature tons of creative, meat free recipes that are packed full of healthy, fresh veggies.

This recipe is one that I adapted from one of their cookbooks called Refresh.

I’m not a vegetarian, but I understand the value of taking a break from meat-eating every now and then. Plus, these cookbooks feature so many great ways to eat greens and veggies that the recipes are so easy to love-vegetarian or not.

Even though the photo of this salad is taken in a way so that you can clearly see the different ingredients, this is not how I serve it. I take a pair of kitchen scissors and cut all of the ingredients up in a large mixing bowl and I stir the salad and coat it with the pesto and dressing.

It’s not as pretty as this photo, but it’s so good! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

SUPER EASY SPINACH PESTO AND CHICKEN SALAD

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• Author: Erica Jones, MHS
• Yield: 4 1x

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Ingredients

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• 2 chicken breasts (cut into strips)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Coconut oil
• 1 8.5 oz. jar of sundried tomatoes (( you won’t use the whole thing ))
• 1 cup cooked white kidney beans
• ½ cup pumpkin seeds (( I toast mine on the stove top for a few minutes ))
• 2 avocadoes (sliced)
• Mixed Greens (for 4 salads)
• 1 batch of spinach basil pesto (see below)

SPINACH BASIL PESTO

• 2 garlic cloves
• ½ tsp. sea salt
• ¼ cup sunflower seeds
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• Huge handful of basil leaves
• 2 handfuls of fresh spinach

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Instructions

1. Season chicken strips with salt and pepper. I also like to sprinkle on dried oregano or my favorite organic All Purpose Seasoning.
2. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the coconut oil. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken strips and cook completely through – 5 to 6 minutes per side.
3. While the chicken is cooking prepare the pesto. Add the garlic to a food processor and mince. Add the remaining ingredients (minus the leaves) and process until smooth.
4. Add the spinach and basil. You may need to scrape the sides a couple of times during the processing.
5. Once the chicken is completely cooked, set it aside. Divide the greens amongst 4 bowls. Arrange each ingredient on top of each salad (4 to 5 sundried tomatoes, ¼ cup of beans, 2 tbsp. of pumpkin seeds and half of an avocado).
6. Top with a spoonful of pesto. You can serve the salad with the pesto as “dressing” or use a dressing of your choice.