Grilled Chicken & Berry Salad

The perfect summer salad, bursting with good-for-you nutrients.

This sweet summertime salad is filled with delicious berries, crispy bacon, light feta and a warm vinaigrette dressing, so every bite is bursting with vibrant and juicy flavors! Better yet, each fork-fill will be packed with nutrients your body needs to thrive! What are you waiting for? 10 ingredients and 20 minutes is all that stands between you and this big bowl of deliciousness!

Hi there 🙂 It’s been a while. A long while. I know most of you probably haven’t noticed much. And that’s okay. I’ve been preoccupied with a lot of different things lately and have been focusing on what brings me joy. Or at least I’m trying to. 

And that’s not to say the blog doesn’t bring me joy, but it does add on a layer of stress. The constant to-do list, feeling the need to be on social media 24/7, planning content, you get the picture. 

And it’s not just the stress, it just takes a lot of time so there’s not many hours left in the day to do the other things I enjoy, like reading, going on walks, planting/yard work, being with family.

So instead of saying I’m going to “take a break” or be absent for a while, which insinuates that I’ll be back in full force eventually, I’ve just decided to take it day by day.

So here I am, finally getting around to sharing a new recipe (I’ve literally pushed this post back for at least a month 😂 And it’s a good one! 

This Grilled Chicken Berry Salad is my favorite salad lately! We’ve been having it every couple of weeks and Nick loves it too. There’s just something about a salad that’s packed with nutrient-rich foods that makes you feel so good 😉 

Something I’ve been loving lately is knowing what nutrients and vitamins each food provides my body, so I thought I’d start sharing! 

Grilled Chicken & Berry Salad Ingredients 

• chicken breasts – lean protein source
• spinach/arugula mix – high in vitamin C (immune health), folic acid (needed for pregnant or TTC women), iron (brings oxygen to blood) and calcium (bone health)
• blueberries – great for brain health and fights against dementia/alzheimers; rich in fiber, vitamin C and K and magnesium (fun fact: almost the entire world population is deficient in magnesium.)
• strawberries – rich in vitamin C, folate, and potassium and great for stabilizing blood sugar
• raspberries – high in fiber and vitamin C, plus stabilizes blood sugar
• bacon – great protein and fat source (try to get a brand with no sugar added!)
• feta – contains more calcium and B vitamins than other cheeses 
• pumpkin seeds – high in antioxidants and provide a substantial amount of healthy fats, magnesium and zinc.
• chia seeds – high in fiber and protein and packed with other essential nutrients
• apple cider vinegar – protects against harmful bacteria (great for gut health) and helps stabilize blood sugar
• brown sugar – adds flavor 🤷🏻‍♀️ lololol
• avocado oil – healthy fat

If you follow along on Instagram, you know I have a lot of food sensitivities, so I’ve been trying to focus on more plant diversity. Specifically to heal my gut. And oh, baby, this recipe is plant diverse. Count em, 7 plants in this one recipe. And if we wanted to get fancy, we could even add some fresh herbs to make it 8-10. 

It’s amazing how quickly our bodies can heal with the right micronutrients! I’ll be sharing a lot more of what each food brings to table (no pun intended 😂)!

Alright, it’s simple.

 How to make Grilled Chicken & Berry Salad

1. Fire up the grill, let heat, and then add 2 pieces of organic chicken breast. Flip every 5 minutes for a total of 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
2. While the chicken grills, prep the bacon and salad. Add 4 slices of bacon to a skillet and cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side until crispy. Once done, place on a plate with paper towels and pat off excess grease. 
3. Add a handful (or two) of spinach/arugula, ⅛ cup blueberries, 4 strawberries, sliced, ⅛ cup raspberries, 2 tablespoons feta, 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds, ½ tablespoon chia seeds, and crumble 2 slices of bacon on each bowl.
4. In a separate small bowl, add 2 tablespoons avocado oil, 2 teaspoons brown sugar and 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar and mix together for the dressing. Set aside.
5. Once the chicken is done cooking, let cool for a few minutes and then slice into small pieces and add on top of salad. 
6. Add the dressing and enjoy!

Easy peasy. You can whip up this dish in 20 minutes! 

And it’s so versatile. If you want to add different berries or seeds, by all means do your thing! I also love making this for meal prep, it’s a lunch you can actually look forward to eating! 😋 So what are you waiting for? 

Grilled Chicken & Berry Salad

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Author: Katie McClure

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• 4 cups spinach/arugula mix
• ¼ cup blueberries
• 1 cup (~8) strawberries, sliced
• ¼ cup raspberries
• 4 stris bacon
• ¼ cup feta (full fat)
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil

Instructions

1. Fire up the grill, let heat, and then add 2 pieces of organic chicken breasts. Flip every 5 minutes for a total of 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
2. While the chicken grills, prep the bacon and salad. Add 4 slices of bacon to a skillet and cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side until crispy. Once done, place on a plate with paper towels and pat off excess grease.
3. Add a handful (or two) of spinach/arugula mix, ⅛ cup blueberries, 4 strawberries, sliced, ⅛ cup raspberries, 2 tablespoons feta, 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds, ½ tablespoon chia seeds, and crumble 2 slices of bacon in each bowl.
4. In a separate small bowl, add 2 tablespoons avocado oil, 2 teaspoons brown sugar and 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar and mix together for the dressing. Set aside.
5. Once the chicken is done cooking, let cool for a few minutes and then slice into small pieces and add on top of salad.
6. Add the dressing and enjoy!

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Looking for other healthy and delicious summer salads? Here are my favorites:

• Cranberry Apple Spinach Salad
• Strawberry Spinach Salad with Chicken
• Chicken & Pasta Caesar Salad