Antipasto Chopped Chicken Salad

After enjoying heavy (but delicious) Sunday dinners, I usually try to serve at least one main-dish salad for dinner on a weekday. This salad is so satisfying that I usually wind up serving it twice in one week. The best description for this salad is Italian antipasto platter meets American Cobb Salad. Served with some warm, crusty bread, it is a filling meal. It has meats, cheeses, veggies, and greens, and it is dressed with a positively delectable vinaigrette that you will wind up dipping your bread into– it is that good.

See my Kitchen Tip HERE on how to shred chicken the easy way!

Antipasto Chopped Chicken Salad

Prep: 20 minsTotal: 20 mins Servings: 6 The Italian Antipasto platter meets the American Cobb for a fully loaded meal!

Equipment

• Blender

Ingredients 

For the Vinaigrette (makes about 2 cups)

• ½ cup white balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 cup Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Salad

• 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
• 1 bunch basil, thinly sliced/chiffonade
• 2 heads Romaine lettuce, julienned
• 5 ounces dry Italian salame, julienned
• 1 cup julienned aged provolone cheese
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup English cucumbers, halved, seeded, and thinly sliced
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• ⅓ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions 

For the Vinaigrette

1. In a blender, combine the vinegar, shallots, garlic, mustard, and mayonnaise; process to combine. With the blender running, slowly add the oil in a steady stream to emulsify. The vinaigrette can be made and kept in an airtight container for 3-5 days.

For the Salad

1. In a medium bowl, toss the shredded chicken and basil with ⅓ cup of the vinaigrette.
2. Arrange the lettuce on each serving plate or on a large platter if serving family style. On top of the lettuce, arrange the chicken and basil mixture, salame, provolone, tomatoes, cucumbers, garbanzo beans, and Parmesan. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and serve, passing the remaining vinaigrette on the side. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 807kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 37g, Fat: 63g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g, Monounsaturated Fat: 35g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 93mg, Sodium: 1507mg, Potassium: 1035mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 18753IU, Vitamin C: 13mg, Calcium: 356mg, Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.