Bacon Avocado Chicken Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Everyone loves this Bacon Avocado Chicken Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette! Loads of veggies, crispy bacon and creamy avocado make the perfect base for the healthy salad dressing.

Ingredients
 
Salad:

• 2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
• 2 avocados diced
• 1 cup of corn kernels 1 ear of corn
• 6 slices bacon cooked crisp and chopped
• 4 cups chopped lettuce
• 2 Roma tomatoes seeded and diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped chives

Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing:

• 1 lemon juiced
• 1 lime juiced
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon honey
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Lemon Vinaigrette

1. Whisk dressing ingredients together in a small bowl, or place ingredients in a mason jar, seal and shake well.
2. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Salad:

1. Toss salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Pieces should be as evenly sized as possible.
2. Toss with half of the salad dressing. Add more dressing as desired.
3. Enjoy immediately.

Notes
Do not add salad dressing until you are ready to serve. If you do not plan on eating the whole salad, reserve without dressing.

Nutrition
Serving: 2cups | Calories: 462kcal

Chicken & White Bean Salad Recipe

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. 

Ingredients

• Vinaigrette
• 1 medium clove garlic
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 tablespoons fresh orange juice, plus more to taste
• ¼ 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
• 2½ cups diced cooked chicken breast (see Tips)
• 2 cups diced zucchini and/or summer squash (about 2 small)
• 1½ cups diced celery
• ¼ cup finely diced ricotta salata, halloumi (see Tips) or feta cheese
• ⅓ 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

Directions

1. To prepare vinaigrette: Peel the garlic and smash with the side of a chef's knife. Using a fork, mash the garlic with ¼ 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.
2. 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 ¾ cup vinaigrette; toss until combined. Taste and season with salt and/or pepper, if desired.
3. 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.

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 2 (omitting basil), cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Stir in chopped basil just before serving.

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 information
Serving size: about 2 cups
Per serving: 428 calories; 23 g fat(5 g sat); 8 g fiber; 24 g carbohydrates; 34 g protein; 85 mcg folate; 79 mg cholesterol; 4 g sugars; 0 g added sugars; 1,499 IU vitamin A; 28 mg vitamin C; 120 mg calcium; 2 mg iron; 647 mg sodium; 648 mg potassium
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (47% daily value), Vitamin A (30% dv), Folate (21% dv)
Carbohydrate Servings: 1½
Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 vegetable, 4 lean meat, 3 fat

Better Three-Bean Salad Recipe

Traditional three-bean salad gets a healthy, fresh spin with the addition of black soybeans, snap peas and a tarragon-infused dressing. Find black soybeans near other canned beans; they're a sweeter, creamier relative of the green ones you're probably familiar with. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups yellow wax beans (about 8 ounces), trimmed, cut into 1½-inch pieces
• 2 cups sugar snap peas (about 6 ounces), trimmed, halved if desired
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon or ¾ teaspoon dried
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 15-ounce can black soybeans or black beans (see Tip), rinsed
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
• 1 bunch scallions, very thinly sliced 

Directions

1. Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a large saucepan fitted with a steamer basket. Add wax beans and snap peas; cover and steam until crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Spread the vegetables out on a large baking sheet to cool.
2. Whisk oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, tarragon, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add soybeans (or black beans), chickpeas, scallions and the cooled vegetables; toss to coat. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.

Try homemade beans instead of canned. Start with 1 pound of any type of dry beans and rinse well. Place in a large bowl and cover with 2 inches of cold water. Let soak at least 8 hours or overnight. (If you're in a hurry, put the beans in a pot and cover with 2 inches of water; bring to boil, boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 1 hour.) Drain the beans, transfer to a large pot and cover with 3 inches cold water. Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, 30 minutes to 2 hours. (Cooking time varies depending on the type and age of the bean; start checking tenderness at 30 minutes.) Wait until the beans are almost tender to add salt; adding it too early can prevent beans from softening. (Use about 1 teaspoon salt per pound of beans.) Refrigerate beans in their cooking liquid for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months. One pound dry beans makes 5 to 6 cups

Cut Down on Dishes: A rimmed baking sheet is great for everything from roasting to catching accidental drips and spills. For effortless cleanup and to keep your baking sheets in tip-top shape, line them with a layer of foil before each use.



Nutrition information

Serving size: ⅔ cup
Per serving: 189 calories; 12 g fat(2 g sat); 5 g fiber; 18 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 58 mcg folate; 0 mg cholesterol; 3 g sugars; 1 g added sugars; 255 IU vitamin A; 13 mg vitamin C; 45 mg calcium; 2 mg iron; 338 mg sodium; 266 mg potassium
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (22% daily value)
Carbohydrate Servings: 1
Exchanges: ½ starch, ½ vegetable, ½ lean meat, 2 fat

Guacamole Chopped Salad Recipe

All of the delicious guacamole flavors you love in a healthy veggie-packed salad. Want to pump up the protein? Add leftover roast chicken or sautéed shrimp. Serve with tortilla chips on the side (or crumbled over the top) to take it up a notch.


Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons corn oil or avocado oil
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
• 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 2 ripe avocados, diced
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
• ¼ cup slivered red onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapeño pepper

Directions
1. Whisk oil, lime juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add romaine, avocado, tomatoes, onion and jalapeño; toss gently to coat.


Nutrition information

• Serving size: 1⅓ cups
• Per serving: 245 calories; 22 g fat(3 g sat); 8 g fiber; 13 g carbohydrates; 3 g protein; 153 mcg folate; 0 cholesterol; 3 g sugars; 0 g added sugars; 4,570 IU vitamin A; 20 mg vitamin C; 36 mg calcium; 1 mg iron; 185 mg sodium; 720 mg potassium
• Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (91% daily value), Folate (38% dv), Vitamin C (33% dv)
• Carbohydrate Servings: 1
• Exchanges: 5 fat, 1 vegetable