This chicken caprese salad was inspired by some leftover crusty bread I had laying around the house and my favorite summertime salad, the classic caprese with its layers of tomato, mozzarella, and basil drizzled with olive oil. It’s summer salad perfection. With caprese as my jumping off point, I built the rest of the salad by making the most of what I had on hand — chicken breasts, spinach, and leftover bread for homemade croutons. Don’t let the homemade croutons intimidate you! They only take a couple of minutes and they are a great way to use up leftover bread. The first time I made this salad, I used leftover focaccia for the croutons (10/10 highly recommend) but really any crusty bread will do. This caprese salad recipe makes 4 large dinner salads. I finish it with a simple drizzle of quality olive oil and balsamic glaze, but you can boost that basil flavor even further by making basil vinaigrette and drizzling it over the top of your salad. I love a good dinner salad recipe — vegetables and protein all in one. No need to worry about a side dish — just cook, assemble and go.
Chicken Caprese Salad Ingredients
Crusty bread: Any good crusty bread will do for making homemade croutons. It’s a great way to use up the lingering bits of a loaf. Leftover focaccia makes great homemade croutons, or for a gluten-free option swap with crispy quinoa. Chicken breast: To make quick work of this salad I buy chicken breast then slice it into thinner cutlets. It reduced the cooking time and helps the chicken cook more evenly. Italian seasoning: I use this homemade Italian seasoning, but you could also use a combination of thyme, rosemary, garlic, and oregano. Olive oil: The only dressing on this salad is olive oil and vinegar, so quality really counts. I like to use a full-bodied flavorful olive oil like our Italian Nocellara or our Spanish Hojiblanca. I also use it to cook the chicken breast and make the croutons. Spinach: I always have a tub of baby spinach in the house so that’s the natural choice for a bed of greens for me, but you could also use arugula or a nice crunchy romaine lettuce. Fresh Basil leaves: Just a handful will do. It’s a classic ingredient in a caprese salad so it’s a must in this one as well. Basil adds an herbal sweetness to the salad. Grape tomatoes: I like to use grape or cherry tomatoes in this caprese salad just because they are bite sized already, but if you have a larger slicing tomato go ahead and use that instead. Mozzarella: Smaller orbs of pearl mozzarella work best for this salad because they are bite sized, but if all you can find is a large ball of mozzarella don’t sweat it. Just chop it up and toss it in the bowl. Balsamic glaze: Balsamic glaze is a little thicker and sweeter than balsamic vinegar. If you don’t have balsamic glaze on hand you can always use balsamic vinegar as it is or or reduce it to make Homemade Balsamic Glaze. It only takes a few minutes. Kosher salt and ground black pepper: Salt makes the other flavors stand out, while pepper adds that earthy, peppery kick.
How to Make Chicken Caprese Salad
You will have to do a little cooking for this salad, but it’s all done in the same skillet so you won’t have a ton of extra dishes to worry about. First, make the homemade croutons. It’s a great way to use up bread before it goes bad and homemade croutons are one thousand times more delicious than anything you could buy at the store. Then in the same skillet used to make the croutons cook the chicken breasts. The rest is just tossing ingredients into a bowl (or bowls).
Make the croutons: In a large skillet set over medium heat, add the cubed or torn bread. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Cook, tossing the bread occasionally, until it’s toasted, crispy and golden brown. This should take about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Make the chicken: Take the chicken breast. Slice the thicken breast in half on the horizon so you end up with four thin chicken cutlets. Season them on all sides with Italian seasoning and salt. In the same skillet where you made the croutons, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and set over medium heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the chicken cutlets. Cook for 4 minutes, then flip over and cook the other side for another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the chicken to a cutting board. Assemble the salad: Divide the spinach, torn basil, halved tomatoes, and pearl mozzarella among 4 bowls. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Top each salad with homemade croutons. Drizzle with high quality extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Slice the chicken breasts divide among the bowls. If you made the basil vinaigrette you can drizzle that over each salad now.
What to Serve with Chicken Caprese Salad
Chicken caprese salad is a full meal in and of itself, but if you’re a soup and salad kind of person I get it. My favorite soup pairings are Tomato Soup, Greek Red Lentil Soup for something warm or for a cold soup, I like Salmorejo, a chilled Spanish soup. Salads like this are always perfect in the summertime when temperatures are climbing. When that’s the case I like to make a big pitcher of strawberry lemonade or if I’m having friends over a pitcher of white wine sangria hits the spot. Browse all Mediterranean recipes.
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