Kale Panzanella Salad with Chicken
Servings: 2
Ingredients
For the bread cubes:
- 1/2 Italian baguette* I prefer using stale bread, cubed
- 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin + more if needed
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic minced
- parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Dijon vinaigrette:
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 to 3 tablespoons apple cider or red wine vinegar
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup good quality olive oil extra virgin
- salt and pepper to taste
For the salad:
- 3 to 4 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil split
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 to 5 cups kale chopped
- 1 small lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Honey crisp apple chopped or sliced thin
- pickled red onions** chopped
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup pecans chopped for garnish
- Parmesan cheese freshly grated for garnish, optional
Instructions
For the bread cubes:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prep a baking sheet with some parchment paper (if desired). Using a large bowl, mix the bread cubes with the olive oil, garlic, parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper.
- Once well coated with everything, place the bread cubes in an even layer on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, until crisp and firm but not too browned. Remove from oven and let cool.
For the Dijon vinaigrette:
- Add the Dijon mustard to your bowl or a mason jar, add the apple cider vinegar and slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
For the salad:
- While the bread cubes are in the oven, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil or avocado oil in a pan or skillet over medium high heat. After a minute or 2, add the chicken breasts and pan fry on each side until browned and cooked through and registers 165 °F. I like to cover my pan with a lid while cooking. When finished, remove from the heat and let rest for a few minutes before cutting into cubes or chunks.
- While the chicken is cooking: place the chopped kale into a bowl and drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the juice from 1 lemon and season with salt and pepper. Massage with your hands and set aside. Massaging the kale softens it and allows for all the olive oil and lemon to flavor it and just makes it more tasty!
- To assemble: using a large salad plate or platter (or you can just assemble individual bowls if you want), lay in the kale, top with the cooked chicken breast, chopped apple chucks, the pickled red onions, pecans and the bread cubes. Lightly drizzle the Dijon vinaigrette over the top (as little or as much as you want) and toss everything together. Feel free to garnish with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
*you can also use ciabatta or rustic sourdough bread
** Pickled red onions recipe is here