Category: Salads

Tuna Pasta Salad

Tuna Pasta Salad, with a creamy dressing, albacore tuna, elbow macaroni, carrots, green peppers, onions, and kalamata olives, is a perfect meal for hot summer days! DELICIOUS!Tuna Pasta Salad with a creamy dressing, albacore tuna, elbow macaroni, carrots, green peppers, onions, and kalamata olives, is a perfect meal for hot summer days!

I found this recipe in my trusty old recipe file box I’ve had for over 40 years. I used to write down recipes I had found on little 3×5 cards and file them in this old, beaten up box, and  recently found this one for tuna pasta salad while looking through old recipes.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Seriously… I have no idea WHERE I got the recipe from, because I didn’t write it down back in the day! I added a couple ingredients to the original recipe, and made it for lunch. YUM. This easy to make salad is not overpowered by the addition of canned albacore tuna… it actually is complimented by it!  You might also enjoy my recipes for a classic Pasta Salad or Chicken Club Pasta Salad; they are delicious… especially on hot summer days!

Throughout the year I love to make chilled side salads for Summer BBQ’s and get togethers! Salads like Hawaiian Macaroni Salad, Homemade Potato Salad, Asian Kale Slaw, and Black Bean, Corn & Tomato Salad with Avocado Dressing are wonderful side dishes to serve a hungry crowd!

Okay… So HOW Do I Make Tuna Pasta Salad?

This salad is totally easy and very quick to make.  In the time it takes to cook macaroni noodles, you can have everything ready to go.  Then all you need to do is mix ingredients, let it “chill” in the fridge for an hour or two, and you’ve got yourself a great little side dish or main dish salad.  Here’s how easy it is to make:

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, milk, lemon juice, mustard, dill weed, salt and pepper. Stir until sauce is smooth.  Set aside. If you want to save time, make the sauce while the pasta is cooking.

Ingredients for tuna pasta salad are mixed together in small bowl

Cook elbow macaroni according to package instructions. Once fully cooked, transfer to a colander, rinse with cold water, drain, and then transfer pasta to large mixing bowl.

Elbow macaroni is cooked and drained for pasta salad

Add one can of albacore tuna (drained and flaked), a large carrot (shredded), finely chopped onion, chopped green peppers and sliced kalamata olives to the cooked pasta.

Pasta with tuna, onion, kalamata olives and shredded carrots ready to combine

Pour the dressing over the salad and stir well, to mix everything together.

Salad dressing is poured over pasta salad with tuna

OOPS!!!! Remember to add the chopped green pepper (I forgot!).  Kept thinking it was missing something for color, and realized I left them out. My bad. Gave it another stir, and salad was DONE!

Chopped green peppers are added to pasta salad

Refrigerate The Tuna Pasta Salad Before Serving

Transfer the finished salad to a pretty serving bowl (preferably one that doesn’t have salad dressing smeared all over the sides from mixing the ingredients… (heh heh heh). Cover the salad with plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours. This not only chills it very well, but gives the flavors time to develop.

Tuna pasta salad ready to serve, in white bowl

Tuna pasta salad overhead view

When ready to serve, remove salad from fridge, remove plastic wrap (because NO ONE wants to eat THAT!), grab a big old spoon or fork, and dig in! This tuna pasta salad is delicious, and will keep for 3-4 days (covered), in refrigerator.

Tuna pasta salad closeup view, in bowl

I hope you enjoy this simple salad. We sure do! Hope you have a wonderful day, friends.

Looking For More Side Dish SALAD Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorite side dish salad recipes include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do soIf you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

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0 from 0 votes
Tuna Pasta Salad
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
20 mins
 
Tuna Pasta Salad with a creamy dressing, albacore tuna, elbow macaroni, carrots, green peppers, onions, and kalamata olives, is a perfect meal for hot summer days!
Category: Salad/Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: tuna pasta salad
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 243 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Salad Dressing:
  • 3/4 cup light mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup low-fat milk
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
  • 1 teaspoon dill weed
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
For Pasta Salad:
  • 7 ounces elbow macaroni (4 cups cooked)
  • 5.4 ounces albacore tuna (one can). drained, flaked
  • 1 carrot (large) , shredded
  • 1/4 cup white onion , finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup green bell pepper , finely chopped
  • 8 kalamata olives (or black) , sliced
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, milk, lemon juice, mustard, dill weed, salt and pepper. Stir until sauce is smooth.  Set aside.
  2. Cook elbow macaroni according to package instructions. Once fully cooked, transfer to a colander, rinse with cold water, drain, and then transfer pasta to large mixing bowl.
  3. Add albacore tuna, carrot, onion, green peppers and kalamata olives to the cooked, drained pasta. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir well, to mix everything together.

  4. Cover salad with plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours. This not only chills the salad very well, it gives the flavors time to develop. When fully chilled, serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Tuna Pasta Salad
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 243 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 15mg5%
Sodium 605mg26%
Potassium 209mg6%
Carbohydrates 30g10%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 11g22%
Vitamin A 1770IU35%
Vitamin C 7mg8%
Calcium 30mg3%
Iron 0.8mg4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Tuna Pasta Salad with creamy dressing, albacore tuna, elbow macaroni, carrots, green peppers, onions, & kalamata olives, is a perfect meal for hot summer days!

Pistachio Pineapple Fluff Salad

This sweet, creamy and delicious pistachio pineapple fluff salad is incredibly easy to make in 5 minutes or less, serves 8, and is a great side dish or dessert your family will LOVE!This sweet, creamy pistachio pineapple fluff salad is incredibly easy to make (5 minutes), serves 8, and is a great side dish or dessert your family will LOVE!

We LOVE this simple salad, too!  The best part is that it’s so EASY to make, in 5 minutes or less… and tastes so yummy!  It’s so easy – if you can stir, you can make this!  Last Fall, I made a scrumptious Piña Colada Fluff Salad (which we devoured, by the way!), so the thought of making a different recipe that had pistachio pudding in it sounded wonderful!

Seriously, if you need a quick, last minute item to add to your table as a side dish, or even a simple dessert, you can literally have this one in the fridge in 5 minutes or less!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

True Story

True story – the day I made this salad I was headed out to the doctor for my annual physical.  For certain I knew I wanted to make it, and decided to do so exactly 5 minutes before leaving my home. I glanced at the clock, then decided it would be great to have this salad made up already when I returned home and fixed dinner. So I quickly grabbed the ingredients from our pantry, “dumped” it all together, gave it a good sir… and boom! Made a salad, took photos of it, AND made it to my appointment on time!  Yee Haw!

Okay… So HOW Do I Make Pistachio Pineapple Fluff Salad?

Here’s how easy it is to make:  Place pistachio pudding mix, mini marshmallows, chopped walnuts or pecans, and a can of crushed pineapple (including the juice!) into a large bowl. I made this up in the same bowl I was gonna serve it in later!

Pineapple, pecans, mini marshmallows and pistachio pudding mix in bowl

Stir all ingredients well, until thoroughly blended. At this point, it looks like something The Grinch would like, right? This would also be a fun GREEN colored salad to whip up for St. Patrick’s Day! And what an EASY potluck dish this would be to make… in no time at all!

Ingredients stirred together for fluff salad in glass bowl

The last thing to do is add a thawed (8 ounce) container of whipped topping. I used Light Cool Whip, in order to cut out a few calories from this salad.  Blend the whipped topping into the pistachio pineapple fluff salad until fully combined.

Whipped topping is stirred into fluff salad ingredients

Refrigerate The Pistachio Pineapple Fluff Salad Before Serving

This is what it will look like once fully blended (see photo below).  Cover the dish, and refrigerate the pistachio pineapple fluff salad salad until you are ready to serve it.  I prefer it really cold and thick, so when possible, I prepare this at least a couple hours before serving.

Fluff salad with pineapple and pistachio pudding is ready to refrigerate!

When ready to serve, you can add chopped pistachios or mini marshmallows to the top as a garnish, grab a big spoon, and enjoy this creamy, fluffy DELICIOUS pistachio pineapple fluff salad!  It’s so good, I’ll bet once you take one bite, you will want another… and another. YUM!

A big spoonful of pistachio pineapple fluff salad, ready to eat!

Sure hope you will give this pistachio pineapple fluff salad a try!  I like to think of it as a QUICK way to add another great tasting dish to any meal!  It would be a perfect side dish to take to a potluck, or holiday gathering, and the recipe can be easily doubled or tripled for large crowds. Your friends and family will enjoy it, and they don’t have to know that it ONLY TOOK YOU 5 MINUTES TO MAKE! We’ll keep that our little secret, okay? (wink, wink).

Thank you for visiting- I appreciate you taking time out of your busy day to stop by. Be sure to check out all the recipes I’ve posted (with direct links) using the Recipe Index at the top of this page!  I sincerely trust you will find some delicious recipes to make and serve, with love, to those you cherish! Have a wonderful day!

Looking For More SALAD Recipes?

I have lots of great salad recipes on the blog you might be interested in, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do soIf you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

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Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Original recipe source: Trish, at https://www.momontimeout.com/pistachio-dessert-salad-pistachio-fluff-recipe/

0 from 0 votes
Pistachio Pineapple Fluff Salad
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Total Time
5 mins
 

This sweet, creamy and delicious pistachio pineapple fluff salad is incredibly easy to make (in 5 minutes), and is a great side dish or dessert your family will LOVE!

Category: Dessert, Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pistachio pineapple fluff salad
Servings: 8 servings
Calories Per Serving: 197 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 3.4 ounces pistachio instant pudding mix (1 small box)
  • 1 cup miniature marshmallows
  • 20 ounce can crushed pineapple
  • 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans , chopped
  • 8 ounces lite whipped topping (Cool Whip), thawed
Instructions
  1. Place pudding mix, mini-marshmallows, crushed pineapple (including juice), and chopped walnuts or pecans in a large bowl. Stir these ingredients very well, to fully combine.

  2. Fold in container of thawed whipped topping until fully blended into salad.  Cover bowl, and refrigerate until you are ready to serve (I recommend at least an hour or two, if possible).

  3. When ready to serve, grab a spoon and dig into this salad (or dessert). It's scrumptious!

Nutrition Facts
Pistachio Pineapple Fluff Salad
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 197 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 4mg1%
Sodium 199mg9%
Potassium 150mg4%
Carbohydrates 35g12%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 29g32%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 85IU2%
Vitamin C 6.7mg8%
Calcium 51mg5%
Iron 0.4mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!This sweet, creamy and delicious pistachio pineapple fluff salad is incredibly easy to make (in 5 minutes), serves 8, and is a great side dish or dessert your family will LOVE!

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

You’ll enjoy Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, with traditional Greek flavors of kalamata olives, feta cheese, roasted red peppers, and a simple dressing!You'll enjoy this Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, with traditional Greek flavors of kalamata olives, feta cheese, roasted red peppers, and a simple dressing!

I’ve been enjoying cooking with quinoa recently. Did you know that quinoa is believed to have originated in the northwest part of South America?

Cooked quinoa provides healthy nutrients similar to what is typically found in rice and wheat, contains proteins and fiber, and is gluten-free. It is commonly referred to as a superfood, and is so easy to prepare!

If you enjoy quinoa, I’m confident you’ll like this delicious salad! By the way, if you’re interested in using quinoa for breakfast, be sure to check out my recipe for Apricot Almond Breakfast Quinoa! Anyways, here’s how to make this Mediterranean Quinoa Salad.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Cook The Quinoa

To make this delicious dish, you will first need to cook the quinoa (according to package instructions) in lightly salted boiling water until done.

Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork once done. Set it aside until it has cooled down to room temperature.

Cooked quinoa in metal saucepan

Make The Salad Dressing

While the quinoa is cooking, make the simple salad dressing for the Mediterranean quinoa salad. Add the ingredients (olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper) to a small bowl.

Mix these ingredients well using a fork, until fully combined. Set dressing aside until ready to top the salad.

Salad dressing for quinoa in small metal bowl

Assemble The Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Place all the salad ingredients into a large mixing or serving bowl.  Isn’t it colorful? The salad has quinoa, roasted red peppers, corn, cilantro, red onion, feta cheese and kalamata olives.

Give the salad dressing a quick stir and pour over the salad ingredients.  Gently mix the Mediterranean quinoa salad together so the dressing coats everything well.

Quinoa, feta, olives, corn, etc. in salad bowl

Pouring salad dressing over veggies in salad bowl

Time To EAT!

Once the salad has been mixed, it’s ready to serve! See how easy that was? And it REALLY tastes great!

Mixing salad ingredients with a fork in a white bowl

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad is a fantastic side dish for a variety of meals. We enjoyed it with pan-seared creole salmon, and a small spinach salad, and it tasted wonderful! 

This would also be a tasty light lunch, as well, and just for the record, the leftovers were just as good the next day!

Spoonful of salad over bowl

If you enjoy quinoa, you might also enjoy my recipes for Southwest Quinoa Salad, Quinoa Enchilada Casserole (meatless), or a delicious Shrimp, Quinoa & Veggie Bowl.

Hope you will consider trying this recipe, and as always, I hope you will enjoy it! Don’t forget to check out ALL my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page.

Take care, and may God bless you and surround you with His love today and always!

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

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Recipe Source: https://cooktoria.com/recipe/mediterranean-quinoa-salad/

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0 from 0 votes
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
25 mins
 

This simple Quinoa Salad is filled with Mediterranean flavors! Easy to prepare, this is a fantastic tasting salad or side dish to serve for lunch or dinner!

Category: Salad/Side Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: Mediterranean quinoa salad
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories Per Serving: 295 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Salad:
  • 1/2 cup quinoa , uncooked
  • 1 cup kalamata olives , pitted, sliced
  • 1 cup corn kernels , fresh or canned
  • 1 cup roasted red peppers , sliced
  • 2/3 cup feta cheese , fat free
  • 1/2 cup red onion , diced
  • 1/2 cup cilantro , chopped
For Salad Dressing:
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil , extra virgin
  • 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper , to taste
Instructions
  1. Cook quinoa in lightly salted water according to package instructions (approx 12-15 minutes).  When done, drain, then set aside to let quinoa cool.

  2. Mix salad dressing ingredients together in a small bowl until fully blended.

  3. Place all salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Pour salad dressing over the top. Mix all ingredients gently until dressing has been incorporated into salad. Serve, and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 295 Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*
Fat 19g29%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 22mg7%
Sodium 1507mg66%
Potassium 267mg8%
Carbohydrates 24g8%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 575IU12%
Vitamin C 17.5mg21%
Calcium 165mg17%
Iron 1.8mg10%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more for your Pinterest boardsYou'll enjoy Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, with traditional Greek flavors of kalamata olives, feta cheese, roasted red peppers, and a simple dressing!

Chicken Taco Salad Bowl

Make a Chicken Taco Salad in an edible tortilla bowl shell! Why go out when you can enjoy this yummy, filling Mexican salad from home?
Make a Chicken Taco Salad in an edible tortilla bowl shell! Why go out when you can enjoy this yummy, filling Mexican salad from home?

Did you know it’s easy to make a delicious Chicken Taco Salad Bowl. Who doesn’t like this filling salad served in an edible tortilla shell? Taco salads are simple to create, and the edible tortilla bowls are very easy to make.

How Does The Tortilla Bowl Get Its Shape? 

I use metal tortilla bowl forms that I bought on Amazon several years ago. I think it was about $10 dollars total for two of them.

No, I am not receiving compensation for mentioning this, just thought you might like to see what I used. They have been worth every single penny, and I’ve used them so many times I’ve lost count!

The metal forms are sprayed with non-stick spray and the tortillas are lightly pressed into the mold, then baked for 5 minutes. That’s it! It’s really simple (and you can store them in an airtight container for 2 days, so you can easily make them ahead of time)!

3 photo collage of baked tortilla bowls

**NOTE: If you don’t have access to tortilla bowl pans, you can still bake tortilla bowls without them. Spray medium sized oven safe bowls with cooking spray.  Press a “burrito-sized” tortilla into the bowl (creasing the edges to fit, if needed).

Bake for 10-15 minutes in a preheated 375 degree oven, or until light brown and crispy. Remove from oven. Let cool for a few minutes, then carefully remove crisp tortilla from bowl.

Cook And Season The Chicken

When I make a taco salad bowl I typically use shredded pork, ground beef or shredded cooked chicken. This time I used 2 cooked/shredded chicken breasts and added a little bit of onion.

I season the meat by using my own taco seasoning mix, OR you can use 1/2 an envelope of store-bought taco seasoning (following instructions on package), to season the chicken.

Chicken cooking in pan

“Building” A Chicken Taco Salad Bowl

Spread warm refried beans across the bottom of the baked tortilla shell.  I usually try to use non-fat beans to cut down on calories.

After that I add lots of shredded lettuce, chopped cilantro, then top it with the seasoned shredded chicken and onion mixture.

Refried beans in tortilla bowl

Seasoned chicken in tortilla taco bowl

Finish Making The Chicken Taco Salad Bowl And Serve

Top the chicken taco salad off with a nice chunky salsa, chopped tomatoes, grated cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream or non-fat plain yogurt, and a few sprigs of cilantro.

Use whatever suits your own personal preference. This is how we enjoy them! You can add any other garnishes you enjoy, such as guacamole, avocado slices or sliced black olives, too.

Chicken taco salad bowl completed

Here are the two chicken taco salad bowls I made for my husband and I.  They look festive, and the crisp tortilla bowls are completely EDIBLE!  This is one of our favorite dinners, because it fills you up, tastes fantastic, and because we LOVE any kind of Mexican food!

Another big plus is that we don’t have to go out to a restaurant, but can enjoy it from the comfort of our own home!

Two chicken taco salads on plates

Go ahead… pull up a chair, grab a fork and have a bite!  I just KNOW you will enjoy this meal!  And by all means, add any other ingredients you wish, to creatively make this salad your own!

At times I’ve added avocado slices, or guacamole, sliced olives, and even chopped green chilies to our salad… all are tasty additions!

Chicken taco salad in tortilla bowl with cilantro

Sure hope you will try this recipe for a delicious chicken taco salad. As much as I enjoy going OUT for Mexican food , sometimes it’s easier, more convenient and less expensive to make these tasty salads at home! 

Thanks for stopping by, and I invite you to come back soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a GREAT day.

Looking For More MAIN COURSE SALAD Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have some wonderful tasting main course salad recipes you might enjoy, including:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

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Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest:
The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Author's signature

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0 from 0 votes
Chicken Taco Salad Bowl
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 

Make a Chicken Taco Salad in an edible tortilla bowl shell! Why go out when you can enjoy this yummy, filling Mexican salad from home?

Category: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: chicken taco salad
Servings: 2 servings
Calories Per Serving: 348 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 2 burrito sized flour tortillas , baked into bowl shape and crisp (See NOTES below)
  • 2 cooked and shredded chicken breasts
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped onions
  • 1/2 package taco seasoning (plus water per pkg. instructions)
  • 1 can refried beans (I used non-fat)
  • 2 cups Iceberg lettuce , chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons cilantro , chopped, divided
  • Salsa (as desired)
  • 1 medium tomato , chopped, divided
  • 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese , grated, divided
  • Dollop of light sour cream (as desired)
  • Additional sprigs of cilantro
  • OPTIONAL GARNISH: guacamole , sliced avocados, sliced black olives, chopped green chilies
Instructions
  1. Bake tortilla bowls until crisp. Set aside. NOTE: If using metal tortilla bowl forms, spray pan with non-stick spray. Press tortilla into pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes or until light brown and crispy. If you don't have access to the tortilla bowl forms, you can still bake tortilla bowls without them. Spray medium sized oven safe bowls with cooking spray. Press a "burrito-sized" tortilla into the bowl (creasing edges to fit, if needed). Bake 10-15 minutes in a 375 degree oven, or until light brown and crispy. Remove from oven. Let cool, then carefully remove crisp tortilla from bowl.
  2. Cook shredded chicken, onion and taco seasoning per package instructions. Set aside.
  3. To build salads, divide and layer ingredients into tortilla bowls: Refried beans, Shredded lettuce, cilantro, and seasoned shredded chicken, salsa, chopped tomato, grated cheddar cheese.
  4. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and additional cilantro, if desired. Additional garnishes can include guacamole, avocado slices, sliced black olives or chopped green chilies. Serve, and enjoy this delicious Mexican salad.
Nutrition Facts
Chicken Taco Salad Bowl
Amount Per Serving (1 salad bowl)
Calories 348 Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Fat 14g22%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Cholesterol 101mg34%
Sodium 539mg23%
Potassium 637mg18%
Carbohydrates 19g6%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 34g68%
Vitamin A 855IU17%
Vitamin C 10.6mg13%
Calcium 247mg25%
Iron 1.8mg10%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Make a Chicken Taco Salad in an edible tortilla bowl shell! Why go out when you can enjoy this yummy, filling Mexican salad from home?

 

Southwest Chicken Salad

You’ll love this Southwest chicken salad with marinated chicken, beans, corn, tomatoes, avocados, and lettuce, topped w/ a creamy lime cilantro dressing!You'll love this Southwest-inspired salad with marinated chicken, beans, corn, tomatoes, avocados, and lettuce, topped w/ a creamy lime cilantro dressing!

If you enjoy flavor-filled main dish salads, you will love this Southwest Chicken Salad. It is a wonderful main dish salad, full of flavor!

I found this recipe for Southwest chicken salad on Pinterest, and it not only sounded HEALTHY, but DELICIOUS!  The original recipe serves 4, but I very slightly modified it to make two servings, for my husband and I to enjoy!

OH MY GOODNESS- this delicious salad is amazing, and I mean it is “we ate every single bite” amazing! Here’s how to make it.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of the Page

Making The Marinade

I made the marinade early in the day, and let the chicken “bathe” in it for hours, to soak up great flavor! When I was ready to fix dinner, all I had to do was grill the chicken on my stove top and assemble the salad. EASY!  

To make the marinade, combine the marinade/salad dressing ingredients in a medium bowl, EXCEPT FOR THE YOGURT! Mix together until all are well blended.

Pour HALF of the marinade (set aside the other half) into a rimmed dish and add the pieces of chicken.

Ingredients for the chicken marinade are combined in a bowl.

Marinate The Chicken

Turn the pieces of chicken over in the dish, to coat all sides of the meat well. Cover the chicken and place the dish in a refrigerator for 2 hours (or more, if time allows).

Cover the remaining half of the marinade and keep it refrigerated until it’s ready to be used.

The chicken is marinated in the refrigerator to add flavor.

When you’re ready to assemble the salad for your meal, remove the reserved marinade from refrigerator. Blend in the Greek yogurt, until it’s fully incorporated and the sauce is creamy.

Greek yogurt is added to reserved marinade for the salad dressing.

Creamy salad dressing is ready to drizzle on the Southwest chicken salad.

Cook The Marinated Chicken

After the chicken has fully marinated, remove it from the refrigerator.  Heat a teaspoon of oil in a skillet or on a grill on medium-high heat until very hot, but not smoking.

Sear the chicken on the first side (without moving it in the pan) until the bottom is golden brown and crispy. Flip the chicken over and cook other side until it is fully done (internal temp. of 165°F). 

I typically use an indoor cast iron grill to cook the chicken, and it takes about 8-10 minutes per side. If the chicken pieces are very thin, your cooking time may be less.

Once done, remove the chicken from the dish (and discard the chicken marinade).  Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes so the juices can redistribute internally, then cut each piece into thin slices,.

Marinated chicken is grilled until browned and cooked through.

The chicken pieces are fully cooked before slicing and adding to the salad.

Assemble The Southwest Chicken Salad

When you are ready to assemble salad, fill individual bowls or plates with cold, chopped romaine lettuce. Divide the corn, beans, and cherry tomato halves between servings.

Top each Southwest chicken salad with avocado and chicken slices. It looks quite decorative if the chicken and avocado are fanned out slightly..

My husband wanted an entire half an avocado sliced on his salad, as you can tell from the 2nd photo below… ha ha!

Building the Southwest chicken salad with lettuce, corn, black beans and cherry tomatoes.

Grilled chicken strips and sliced avocados are added to the salad.

Time To EAT The Southwest Chicken Salad

Drizzle the salad with the prepared cilantro lime salad dressing. Serve, and enjoy this absolutely amazing tasting meal!

NOTE: I made 2 large entree size salads for us. If making 4 large salads, increase chicken to 4 pieces, and double the amount of corn, beans, cherry tomatoes, and add additional lettuce. You will not need to double the marinade.

The Southwest chicken salad is drizzled with salad dressing, and is ready to eat.

A close up view of this delicious salad, with grilled chicken and avocados.

We absolutely LOVED this Southwest chicken salad; we were very full and completely satisfied after eating!  The grilled chicken had great flavor, thanks  to the lime cilantro marinade, and the low fat flavor-filled dressing made this dish shine!

I sincerely hope you will consider trying this recipe and trust you’ll love it as much as we do! Southwest Chicken Salad is totally delicious, filling, and very colorful!

Thanks for stopping by, and I invite you to come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, and have a fantastic day!

Looking for More MAIN COURSE SALAD Recipes?

You can find ALL my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have a nice variety of main course salads you might want to check out, including:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

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Author's signature

Recipe Adapted From: Karina, at https://cafedelites.com/southwestern-chicken-salad/

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes
Southwest Chicken Salad
Prep Time
2 hrs
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 20 mins
 

You'll love this Southwest chicken salad with marinated chicken, beans, corn, tomatoes, avocados, and lettuce, topped w/ a creamy lime cilantro dressing!

Category: Dinner
Cuisine: Southwest
Keyword: Southwest chicken salad
Servings: 2
Calories Per Serving: 468 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 2 large chicken thighs (boneless, skinless)
For Marinade/Salad Dressing:
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/3 cup fresh lime juice (approx. 2 large limes)
  • 1 teaspoon lime zest
  • 4 Tablespoons fresh cilantro (finely chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin (ground)
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (THIS IS USED FOR DRESSING ONLY!!!)
For Salad:
  • 4 cups romaine lettuce (torn or chopped)
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
  • 1/2 avocado , thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup canned black beans (drained, rinsed)
  • 1/2 cup canned whole kernel corn (drained, rinsed)
Instructions
  1. In a medium sized bowl, combine all marinade/salad dressing ingredients EXCEPT FOR THE YOGURT! Mix together until well blended. Pour HALF of the marinade (set aside the other half) into a rimmed shallow dish and add the chicken. Toss to coat well. Cover chicken and place in refrigerator for 2 hours (or more, if time allows). Cover remaining marinade and refrigerate until ready to use.
  2. After chicken has fully marinated, remove it from refrigerator. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a skillet or on a grill on medium-high heat until very hot, but not smoking. Cook chicken on first side until bottom is golden brown and crispy, then flip and cook other side until chicken is fully cooked throughout. (I used an indoor cast iron grill and it took about 10 minutes per side). Once done, remove chicken, and let it rest so juices can settle internally. After chicken has rested for 5 minutes, cut each piece into thin slices. Discard chicken marinade.
  3. When ready to assemble salad, remove reserved marinade from refrigerator. Blend in the Greek yogurt, until completely incorporated and creamy.
  4. To assemble salads, fill individual bowls or plates with chopped romaine. Divide corn, beans, and cherry tomato halves between servings. Place avocado and chicken slices decoratively on top of salad. Drizzle each salad with reserved creamy cilantro lime dressing. Serve, and enjoy!
Recipe Notes

*NOTE: I made 2 large salads for us. If making 4 servings, increase chicken to 4 pieces, and double the amount of corn, beans, cherry tomatoes, and add additional lettuce, as desired. (Use same amounts written for marinade/dressing).

Nutrition Facts
Southwest Chicken Salad
Amount Per Serving (1 main course salad)
Calories 468 Calories from Fat 243
% Daily Value*
Fat 27g42%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Cholesterol 108mg36%
Sodium 1525mg66%
Potassium 1092mg31%
Carbohydrates 28g9%
Fiber 8g33%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 30g60%
Vitamin A 8670IU173%
Vitamin C 32.1mg39%
Calcium 101mg10%
Iron 3.5mg19%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!You'll love this Southwest chicken salad with marinated chicken, beans, corn, tomatoes, avocados, and lettuce, topped w/ a creamy lime cilantro dressing!

Southwest Quinoa Salad

Southwest Quinoa Salad is a healthy side or vegetarian dish featuring quinoa, tomatoes, corn, beans, peppers, avocado, and a flavorful cilantro lime dressing!
Southwest Quinoa Salad is a healthy side or vegetarian dish featuring quinoa, tomatoes, corn, beans, peppers, avocado, and a flavorful cilantro lime dressing!
Happy New Year! If you’re like many others, you’ve started the year with a determination to eat healthier or lose some weight! This Southwest Quinoa Salad is a delicious, healthy recipe solution for you! It features quinoa, black beans, tomatoes, corn, bell peppers, and avocado, topped with a scrumptious cilantro lime dressing! YUM!

This is my first official blog post of 2018, and I’m so grateful to be able to share this recipe with you from our newly remodeled kitchen.  I don’t know about you, but we managed to eat quite a bit of Christmas goodies and take-out over the holidays (due to my husband and I loving sweets AND having no kitchen to cook in for the past 2 months).

Now we have begun the year determined to make wiser choices.  Say hello to this quinoa salad. It’s a flavor-filled healthy “meatless” dish is perfect as a light side dish or a quick lunch!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Cad At The Bottom Of The Page

Here’s How To Make Southwest Quinoa Salad

Put the uncooked quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse with water (this helps clean the  quinoa). Place the rinsed quinoa, water and salt in a saucepan; bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.

When it comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and put a lid on the pan. Cook quinoa for approximately 17-20 minutes (or until all liquid has been absorbed). Remove pan from heat, set aside, and let quinoa cool down to room temperature.

Southwest Quinoa Salad / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Place cherry tomatoes, corn, black beans, bell peppers, avocado and room temperature quinoa into a large salad bowl. Set aside. TIP: An easy tip for cubing an avocado is to cut it in half, remove pit, then use a knife to slice grid lines into avocado lengthwise, then horizontally, without cutting through peel. Once cut, slide a large spoon around the inside of the peel, and the avocado cubes should fall out!

Southwest Quinoa Salad / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Make The Cilantro Lime Salad Dressing

To make the simple cilantro lime dressing, whisk together olive oil, light sour cream, lime zest and juice, garlic powder, cumin, salt, pepper and cilantro in a small bowl . Be sure to mix well.

Southwest Quinoa Salad / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Pour all of the dressing over salad, and stir well, to combine all ingredients thoroughly. The quinoa will absorb all the delicious Southwestern flavors from the dressing and will really make this dish shine!

Southwest Quinoa Salad / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Southwest Quinoa Salad Is Ready To Enjoy!

Garnish the Southwest quinoa salad with a sprig of fresh cilantro, and serve it as a side dish. Since it is so filling, this salad (even without meat), would be a quick vegetarian meal or “take to work” packed lunch! The salad tastes good served at room temperature OR chilled!

Southwest Quinoa Salad / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Here’s a close up of some Southwest Quinoa Salad goodness. Yum!  I love the fact that it not only tastes wonderful, but is quite colorful and good for you!

Southwest Quinoa Salad / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

New Beginnings

I served this Southwest Quinoa Salad with roasted turkey breast and steamed broccoli, for a healthy New Years Day dinner! My husband and I really enjoyed it, and it was FUN to prepare my first recipe for 2018 in our newly remodeled kitchen.

This was after 2 months of not being able to cook in there! Yay for our new, updated kitchen, appliances and counter tops! We still  have some work to do, but I’ve begun cooking in my kitchen once again. Yay!

Southwest Quinoa Salad / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

I want to wish you again a Happy New Year from our home to yours!  The arrival of a new year brings with it an infinite number of opportunities to encourage and serve others. Opportunities will also arise to grow as a person, create great memories, and cook delicious meals for yourself and those you love!

Hope you will join me in rising to the occasion, and as always, thank you for visiting The Grateful Girl Cooks. I appreciate each one of you. Have a great day!

Looking For More Recipes That Use QUINOA?

You can find ALL my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have some delicious recipes that feature quinoa you might enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do soIf you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

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Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram:
jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Southwest Quinoa Salad / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Recipe Source: http://togetherasfamily.com/2017/05/fiesta-quinoa-salad/

0 from 0 votes
Southwest Quinoa Salad
Prep Time
8 mins
Cook Time
17 mins
Total Time
25 mins
 
Southwest Quinoa Salad is a healthy side or vegetarian dish featuring quinoa, tomatoes, corn, beans, peppers, avocado, and a flavorful cilantro lime dressing!
Category: Salad
Cuisine: Southwest
Keyword: Southwest quinoa salad
Servings: 8 side servings
Calories Per Serving: 218 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Salad:
  • cups uncooked quinoa
  • cups water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
  • 1 can corn , drained (standard sized can)
  • 1 can black beans , drained and rinsed
  • 1 orange bell pepper , chopped (I used a combination of red, orange and green)
  • 1 avocado , peeled and cubed
For Cilantro Lime Dressing:
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream (can substitute plain non-fat yogurt)
  • Zest and juice from 1 lime
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
  1. Put the uncooked quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse with water (this helps clean quinoa). Place the rinsed quinoa, water and salt in a saucepan; bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. When it comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and put a lid on the pan. Cook quinoa for approximately 17-20 minutes (or until all liquid has been absorbed). Remove pan from heat, set aside, and let quinoa cool down to room temperature.
  2. Place cherry tomatoes, corn, black beans, bell peppers, avocado and cooled quinoa into a large salad bowl.
  3. To make cilantro lime dressing, in a small bowl whisk together olive oil, light sour cream, lime zest and juice, garlic powder, cumin, salt, pepper and cilantro. Be sure to mix well. Pour all of the dressing over salad, and stir well to combine all ingredients thoroughly. Serve as a side dish or as a healthy meatless meal, and enjoy! (Store leftovers in a covered container in refrigerator).
Nutrition Facts
Southwest Quinoa Salad
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 218 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 2mg1%
Sodium 307mg13%
Potassium 367mg10%
Carbohydrates 21g7%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 660IU13%
Vitamin C 25.9mg31%
Calcium 32mg3%
Iron 1.7mg9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Southwest Quinoa Salad is a healthy side or vegetarian dish featuring quinoa, tomatoes, corn, beans, peppers, avocado, and a flavorful cilantro lime dressing!

Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad With Grilled Chicken

Looking for a main course salad bursting with flavor and packed with protein? How about trying this filling, delicious recipe for Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad With Grilled Chicken?Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Grilled Chicken is bursting with flavor and protein, and tastes delicious topped with a homemade light balsamic dressing.
I found this salad recipe while searching Pinterest a while ago, and decided to make this for dinner for my husband and myself recently.  The salad was very easy to prepare, and the bonus is that the dressing for the salad also serves as a marinade for the chicken breasts before grilling! Here’s how to make this entree salad (enough for 2 LARGE main course salads):

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Salad Dressing

First, mix up the salad dressing/marinade by placing olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, sugar, tarragon, salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Stir until sugar is dissolved and ingredients are completely combined. Divide the dressing in half, reserving half to dress the finished salad with before serving. Set aside.

Marinate The Chicken

Place the chicken breasts in a covered container.  Take the remaining half of the dressing and pour it over the chicken.  Turn to coat chicken with marinade. Place in refrigerator in covered container and let marinade for at least 30 minutes.

Marinade is mixed for dressing the strawberry avocado spinach salad.

Grill The Marinated Chicken

Prepare a grill (inside or outside) by spraying with a non-stick spray. Cook chicken breasts on medium-high heat, turning occasionally until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees, and are cooked through.  Grill times will vary, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, but the average time will be about 15-20 minutes.

Once cooked, take chicken off grill, and let the meat rest for a few minutes to let internal juices redistribute.  Cut chicken breasts into 1/2 inch slices.

Make The Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad With Grilled Chicken

Arrange baby spinach, strawberries, red onion slices, feta, and almond slices in or on individual serving dishes.  Place grilled chicken slices on top of salad.

Chicken breast is sliced then served atop the spinach salad with avocado and strawberries.
Add avocado chunks, then drizzle salad with remaining reserved salad dressing (don’t use the dressing you marinated the chicken in). Serve this strawberry avocado spinach salad with grilled chicken, and enjoy every single bite!

Avocado chunks added to spinach salad, along with dressing.

Time To EAT!

Here is a photo of our  bowls of strawberry avocado spinach salad before we pounced on them and gobbled them up!  They were soooo good! Crunchy almonds, sweet strawberries, slightly salty feta, creamy avocados, yummy salad dressing and delicious chicken top this delicious salad off!

Two strawberry avocado spinach salads with grilled chicken ready to eat!

Hope you will consider making this wonderful tasting strawberry avocado spinach salad.  We truly enjoyed it. Thank you for stopping by today… I hope you will come back soon.

Looking For More Main Dish Salad Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes for Main Dish Salads in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have quite a few, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do soIf you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Recipe Source:  http://www.foodiecrush.com/strawberry-and-avocado-spinach-salad-with-chicken/

0 from 0 votes
Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad With Grilled Chicken
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
25 mins
 
Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Grilled Chicken is bursting with flavor and protein, and tastes delicious topped with a homemade light balsamic dressing.
Category: Main Course Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: strawberry avocado spinach salad
Servings: 2 entree salads
Calories Per Serving: 821 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Marinade/Salad Dressing:
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon golden balsamic vinegar ( I used a white raspberry balsamic)
  • 1/2 Tablespoon dried tarragon (or 1 Tablespoon fresh, chopped tarragon)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
For Salad:
  • 2 boneless , skinless thin chicken breasts (about 1" high, and not too "plump")
  • 6 cups loosely packed baby spinach leaves
  • 6-8 strawberries , hulled/quartered
  • 1 ripe avocado , peeled, seeded, then cut into 1-2 inch chunks
  • 4 very thin slices of red onion
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 2 Tablespoons sliced almonds
  • 1 slice cooked crisp/crumbled bacon (optional)
Instructions
  1. Mix the salad dressing/marinade by placing olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, sugar, tarragon, salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Stir until sugar is dissolved and ingredients are completely combined. Divide dressing in half, reserving half to dress the finished salad with. Set aside.
  2. Place chicken breasts in a shallow container. Take remaining half of the dressing and pour it over the chicken. Turn to coat chicken with marinade. Cover, and place in refrigerator; let chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes.
  3. Prepare a grill (inside or outside) by spraying with a non-stick spray. Cook chicken breasts on medium-high heat, turning occasionally until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees, and are cooked through. Grill times will vary, depending on size of the chicken breasts, but average time will be about 15-20 minutes. Once cooked, take chicken off grill, and let the meat rest for a few minutes to let internal juices redistribute. Cut chicken breasts into 1/2 inch slices.
  4. Arrange baby spinach, strawberries, red onion slices, feta, and almond slices in individual serving dishes. Place grilled chicken slices on top of salad. Add avocado chunks, then drizzle with reserved salad dressing (do not use the dressing you marinated the chicken with). Serve, and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad With Grilled Chicken
Amount Per Serving (1 salad)
Calories 821 Calories from Fat 522
% Daily Value*
Fat 58g89%
Saturated Fat 11g69%
Cholesterol 96mg32%
Sodium 794mg35%
Potassium 1929mg55%
Carbohydrates 42g14%
Fiber 14g58%
Sugar 16g18%
Protein 37g74%
Vitamin A 8775IU176%
Vitamin C 75mg91%
Calcium 302mg30%
Iron 5.2mg29%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Grilled Chicken is bursting with flavor and protein, and tastes delicious topped with a homemade light balsamic dressing.

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Chopped Greek Chicken Salad

You’ll love this Weight Watchers Chopped Greek Chicken Salad, with grilled chicken, feta cheese, kalamata olives, crunchy cucumbers, and a light vinaigrette!You'll love this Weight Watchers Chopped Greek Chicken Salad, with grilled chicken, feta cheese, kalamata olives, crunchy cucumbers, and a light vinaigrette!

I discovered a new recipe for a Chopped Greek Chicken Salad, with grilled chicken, feta cheese, kalamata olives, crunchy cucumbers, and a light vinaigrette recently, and decided to try it.  Wow!  We LOVED it!

We each had a huge bowl of salad, complete with grilled chicken, feta cheese, kalamata olives, crunchy cucumbers, etc.. We topped it with a light vinaigrette dressing, and it was a delicious, filling and complete meal for us!

The flavor of the chopped Greek chicken salad was amazing… and guess what?  It’s a Weight Watchers recipe, so if you are looking to have a light (but filling) meal, a low calorie or Smart Points recipe (6 Points!), then I would highly recommend this main course salad! As an added bonus… it’s incredibly EASY to prepare, so it’s a WIN-WIN.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Prepare Chopped Greek Chicken Salad

The first thing I did was cook the chicken. I used an indoor grill (which only took about 8 minutes), but you can cook the chicken breast any way you would like, or use leftovers.  Season chicken lightly with salt/pepper. Grill or roast chicken breasts (I used 2 thin breasts). When done, set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Once cool, cut into thin slices. Set aside. TIP: While chicken is cooking, prep, chop, and slice the veggies.

Divide the chopped romaine lettuce in half, and place in bowls or on dinner plates.  Divide and add the peeled, chopped cucumber and sliced green onions to each bowl.

Diced romaine lettuce, green onions and cucumbers in white bowl.

“Building” The Salad In Layers

Divide the ingredients in half (half for each salad), and add the chicken slices and whole kalamata olives on top of the lettuce.

Grilled chicken and kalamata olives are added to the chopped Greek chicken salad.

Now divide and add the fresh chopped tomatoes and crumbled feta cheese to each chopped Greek chicken salad. Doesn’t it look GOOD??? Now- wasn’t that incredibly EASY to prepare?

Chopped tomatoes and feta cheese is added to the chopped Greek chicken salad.

Ready To Serve The Chopped Greek Chicken Salad

When ready to eat, drizzle each chopped Greek chicken salad with 2 Tablespoons of low-fat vinaigrette salad dressing. Give the salad a toss, to mix ingredients, then serve! Enjoy!

Here are our two dinner salads ready to go! Not only do they LOOK good, they TASTE great, as well! Time to dig into a nice big bowl of  scrumptious chopped Greek chicken salad.

Two chopped Greek chicken salads, in bowls, and ready for salad dressing!

This was a very filling salad, and I will definitely be making it again!  I LOVE that even a “lighter than normal” salad can be filled with so many wonderful flavors! My husband is already wondering when we will have this chopped Greek chicken salad again. Soon… real soon!

Close up photo of the chopped Greek chicken salad.

Another close up picture of a chopped Greek chicken salad in white bowl.

I really hope you will consider trying this fantastic chopped Greek chicken salad recipe! You are gonna enjoy it!  Have a wonderful day… make the most out of every minute you are blessed with!

Looking for More SALAD Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have lots of great salad recipes you might enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do soIf you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest:
The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram:
jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Recipe Source: https://cmx.weightwatchers.com/nui/explore/details2/WWMEAL:5626a7722084d63a3401ea88?mode=featured-recipes&tags=contentTags.food_course.tags:Breakfast&view=list

0 from 0 votes
Chopped Greek Chicken Salad
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
8 mins
Total Time
18 mins
 
You'll love this Weight Watchers Chopped Greek Chicken Salad, with grilled chicken, feta cheese, kalamata olives, crunchy cucumbers, and a light vinaigrette!
Category: Main Course Salad
Cuisine: Greek
Keyword: chopped Greek chicken salad
Servings: 2 main course servings
Calories Per Serving: 275 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 4 cups chilled Romaine lettuce , chopped
  • 6 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast (roasted or grilled), sliced.
  • Salt/pepper to season chicken
  • 1 cup fresh tomatoes , chopped
  • 1 cup English cucumber , peeled, chopped
  • 4 medium raw scallions (green onions), sliced (white and green parts)
  • 18 Kalamata olives (pitted)
  • 4 Tablespoons Feta cheese , crumbled
  • 4 Tablespoons low fat vinaigrette salad dressing
Instructions
  1. Season chicken lightly with salt/pepper. Grill or roast chicken breasts (I used 2 thin breasts). When done, set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Once cool, cut into thin slices. Set aside. TIP: While chicken is cooking, chop and slice veggies.
  2. Divide the chopped romaine in half and place in bowls or on dinner plates. Divide and add chopped (and peeled) cucumber and sliced green onions. Divide and add chicken slices and kalamata olives. Divide and add fresh chopped tomatoes and crumbled feta cheese.
  3. Drizzle each salad with 2 Tablespoons of low-fat vinaigrette salad dressing; toss salad, and serve! Enjoy!
Recipe Notes

Caloric calculation does NOT include low-fat vinaigrette dressing, as there are a variety of low-fat bottled dressings on the market, with varying caloric counts.

If following WW plan, this recipe is 6 Smart Points per serving, if prepared as written.

Nutrition Facts
Chopped Greek Chicken Salad
Amount Per Serving (1 salad (1/2 of total))
Calories 275 Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 84mg28%
Sodium 1052mg46%
Potassium 784mg22%
Carbohydrates 10g3%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 25g50%
Vitamin A 9050IU181%
Vitamin C 15mg18%
Calcium 243mg24%
Iron 2.1mg12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!You'll love this Weight Watchers Chopped Greek Chicken Salad, with grilled chicken, feta cheese, kalamata olives, crunchy cucumbers, and a light vinaigrette!

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Piña Colada Fluff Salad

This EASY to make, sweet and delicious tropics inspired Piña Colada Fluff Salad, with pineapple and coconut, only takes 5 minutes to prepare and serves 8!This EASY to make, sweet and delicious tropics inspired Piña Colada Fluff Salad, with pineapple and coconut, only takes 5 minutes to prepare and serves 8!
I recently made a tropical inspired Piña Colada Fluff Salad, with crushed pineapple, shredded coconut, rum extract and miniature marshmallows as a side dish. My husband and I can’t stay out of it,  grabbing a spoonful here and there, because it is sooo incredibly good! Bonus? IT ONLY TAKES 5 MINUTES TO MAKE!

When I first showed this piña colada fluff salad to my husband, he didn’t seem too thrilled since he’s not much of a pineapple and coconut kind of guy.   But… after he took a taste, he took another bite, said it was “refreshing”, and another, and then another!

You get the picture!  He ended up absolutely LOVING this sweet taste of the tropics “dessert” salad, that is made in about 5 minutes!  How’s THAT for a real timesaver!? I can’t vouch for it’s “healthiness” (ha ha- who am I kidding?), but I can vouch for it’s “amazingness”!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At the Bottom Of The Page

What Is IN This Piña Colada Fluff Salad?

Here’s the cast of characters for the piña colada fluff salad. The ingredients are crushed pineapple, miniature marshmallows, shredded coconut, whipped topping, rum extract, chopped nuts, and vanilla pudding mix.

These are the ingredients used to make this fluff salad.

Trust me, this salad is fantastic, and it’s SO EASY to make in 5 minutes. Here’s what you do:

How To Make Piña Colada Fluff Salad

Place the pudding mix and an entire can (juice included) of crushed pineapple into a large serving bowl.  Stir ingredients until they are completely mixed together.

Vanilla pudding and canned pineapple are combined to make fluff salad.

Add the marshmallows, shredded coconut, chopped nuts, and rum extract to mixture.

Marshmallows, pecans, coconut and rum extract added to fluff salad.

Top it off with the whipped topping.  Gently fold all the ingredients together until completely combined.

Whipped topping is added to Piña Colada Fluff Salad.

Refrigerate Before Serving

Once the piña colada fluff salad is thoroughly combined, cover the bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve! I recommend refrigerating it for a couple hours, at least!

Piña Colada Fluff Salad is refrigerated, then is ready to serve!

Time To EAT!

That’s it!  See how easy that was?  When ready to serve you will notice that the salad has thickened up a little bit. Scoop it up, serve, and enjoy the taste of the tropics with this simple, sweet piña colada fluff salad.

A spoonful of Piña Colada Fluff Salad, ready to eat!

I really hope you enjoy this salad.  If you like this, check out my recipe for Pistachio Pineapple Fluff Salad. YUM.  We had this with our dinner, but you could also serve this as dessert, if you wanted to.  This easy recipe is definitely going into my KEEP pile of recipes!  Enjoy!

Looking For More Tropics-Inspired Recipes?

You can find ALL my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have some delicious “tropics-inspired” recipes you might enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do soIf you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

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Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Recipe Source:  http://www.momontimeout.com/2015/02/pina-colada-fluff/

0 from 0 votes
Piña Colada Fluff Salad
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Total Time
5 mins
 

This EASY to make, sweet and delicious tropics inspired Piña Colada Fluff Salad, with pineapple and coconut, only takes 5 minutes to prepare and serves 8!

Category: Salad/Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pina colada fluff salad
Servings: 8 servings
Calories Per Serving: 294 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 box vanilla instant pudding mix (3.4 ounces)
  • 1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple (do NOT drain!)
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
  • 1 teaspoon rum extract
  • 2 cups miniature marshmallows
  • 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
  • 1 tub Cool Whip (8 ounces), thawed
Instructions
  1. Place the entire can of crushed pineapple (undrained) and the pudding mix into a large serving bowl. Stir ingredients until they are fully mixed together.
  2. Add chopped nuts, rum extract, marshmallows and coconut to bowl. Top with entire tub of Cool Whip, and fold the ingredients in together until fully combined.
  3. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; refrigerate salad until completely chilled (recommend a couple hours) and you're ready to serve.
Nutrition Facts
Piña Colada Fluff Salad
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 294 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Cholesterol 4mg1%
Sodium 112mg5%
Potassium 213mg6%
Carbohydrates 43g14%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 32g36%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 85IU2%
Vitamin C 6.8mg8%
Calcium 52mg5%
Iron 0.8mg4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!This EASY to make, sweet and delicious tropics inspired Piña Colada Fluff Salad, with pineapple and coconut, only takes 5 minutes to prepare and serves 8!

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Watermelon, Feta, and Mint Salad

Sweet, cold watermelon feta mint salad with fresh mint, salty feta cheese crumbles and red onion is an easy, delicious salad for a hot Summer day!Sweet, cold watermelon feta mint salad with fresh mint, salty feta cheese crumbles and red onion is an easy, delicious salad for a hot Summer day!
I recently made a very yummy and unique salad as a side dish with our dinner! It is a chilled Watermelon, feta cheese, and mint salad, to be exact! Wow! This is a fantastic chilled salad to serve when temperatures heat up, like it’s doing in Oregon this week (temps of 108)!

I found the recipe for this watermelon feta mint salad on Pinterest and thought it sounded interesting, and guess what? It tastes FANTASTIC! Cold, ripe sweet watermelon pairs unbelievably well with slightly salty feta cheese! The addition of chopped fresh mint, a touch of olive oil and a some red onion make this a delectable and refreshing summer salad!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make A Watermelon Feta Mint Salad

This simple recipe could not be any easier to prepare! There are two methods, and both are simple! Shown here is the way I made this yummy watermelon feta mint salad. See the printable recipe at the bottom of this post for other method.

Cut up a well-chilled seedless watermelon into cubes. You only need 6 cups worth of watermelon cubes, and so this was only two large slices out of a whole watermelon!

Cold watermelon melon is cut into chunks for the salad.

Add the remaining ingredients to the watermelon cubes. These ingredients are crumbled feta cheese, olive oil, thinly sliced red onion, and chopped fresh mint. Season the salad with a little bit of salt and pepper to taste.

Toss gently to combine, and try not to break up the feta crumbles too much.  See the printable recipe below, for another way to prepare this salad!

Olive oil, red onion, chopped mint leaves and feta cheese are added to the salad.

Serve The Watermelon Feta Mint Salad Chilled

Once the salad is gently mixed together, it CAN be served right away. HOWEVER, I think the salad is at it’s best when really cold, and the flavors have come together in the fridge.  If you like watermelon really cold, refrigerate this salad for about an hour before serving.

When ready to serve, place the watermelon feta mint salad in a pretty serving dish, and garnish with a fresh mint sprig. Grab a fork, and dig in, because it is DELICIOUS!

The cold watermelon feta mint salad is garnished with a mint sprig and served!

We’ve had record-breaking heat here in the Portland, Oregon area this week.  Our power has gone out 2 times in 24 hours (last night and this morning), so it hasn’t been fun trying to stay cool with no electricity or cooling! We are very thankful for COLD SALADS and CANDLES, and that the problems have now been fixed.  Whew!!! 

If you enjoy watermelon like we do, be sure and check out some of my other recipes featuring it, like Watermelon, Feta and Balsamic Bites, Watermelon and Cucumber Gazpacho, and Watermelon Lime & Mint Agua Fresca!  Hope you have a great day!

Looking For More SALAD Recipes?

You can find all of my salad recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have many salad recipes, which include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do soIf you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest:
The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram:
jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Recipe Source:  http://www.slenderkitchen.com/recipe/watermelon-feta-and-mint-salad

0 from 0 votes
Watermelon, Feta, and Mint Salad
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Total Time
10 mins
 

Sweet, cold watermelon feta mint salad with fresh mint, salty feta cheese crumbles and red onion is an easy, delicious salad for a hot Summer day!

Category: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: watermelon feta mint salad
Servings: 4 servings
Calories Per Serving: 160 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 6 cups cold watermelon , cubed
  • 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/4 cup red onion , sliced thinly
  • 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves , roughly chopped
  • 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and ground black pepper , to taste
Instructions
Method 1: (this is the method I used)
  1. Combine all ingredients in large serving bowl. Toss gently, to combine, trying to not break up the feta crumbles too much. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve and enjoy!
Method 2:
  1. Combine all ingredients except for crumbled feta cheese. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Sprinkle salad with feta cheese crumbles (but do not mix it in) right before serving. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Watermelon, Feta, and Mint Salad
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 160 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Cholesterol 25mg8%
Sodium 326mg14%
Potassium 288mg8%
Carbohydrates 18g6%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 15g17%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 1535IU31%
Vitamin C 19.4mg24%
Calcium 161mg16%
Iron 0.9mg5%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin to your Pinterest boards!Sweet, cold watermelon feta mint salad with fresh mint, salty feta cheese crumbles and red onion is an easy, delicious salad for a hot Summer day!

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