Paleo Chicken Pesto Salad

When you jump into a new detox, nutrition challenge, or diet, it’s pretty easy to stick with the same foods, same meals, over …and over again.

I completely understand why, too. If the nutrition principals of the program you’re following are new or different from your norm, it can be exhausting to freely dream up variety when you’re constantly checking the food boundaries.

As much as I’m an advocate for variety, I’m guilty of this too. My autopilot {not-so-well-informed} meals when I first started Paleo over 3 years ago were the following:

Breakfast: 1-cup egg whites, 3 pieces pre-cooked bacon, 1 cup strawberries, 1 tablespoon almond butter

AM Snack: 2 ounces cold turkey meat, ½ cup strawberries, 1 cup cucumber, 1 tablespoon almonds

Lunch: 6 ounces chicken over mixed greens, carrots, and tomatoes

PM Snack: 2 ounces cold turkey meat, ½ cup strawberries, 1 cup cucumber, 1 tablespoon almonds

Dinner: 6 ounces chicken, ½ cup steamed sweet potato, 1 cup steamed broccoli

Dessert: banana with almond butter smear

I only drank water, tea, and black coffee.

That’s what I ate every single day for about 4 months. Blah.

It was only a short matter of time before I decided I would dedicate myself to variety. I dedicated myself to being a student of the clean/Paleo nutrition principals, exploring all the food possibilities within, and then that I’d share it with the world. {That’s you!}

This chicken pesto salad is one of those dishes that helps you forget about your detox, challenge, or diet. Go ahead and put your mind at ease about “healthy fats,” “what nuts are approved,” or if it’s got “good or bad carbs.” I’ve done the work for you. It’s got everything you’re looking for AND it’s crazy delicious.

The pesto used is none other than my famous Roasted Garlic Paleo Pesto. It makes this dish SING. My non-detoxing family couldn’t keep their forks out of it.

For extra handiness, you can even get a good dose of your daily leafy greens by using green chard for a wrap!

If you’ve been following my 21-DSD log, you’ve probably seen this meal pop up a few times. I’ve been enjoying the leftovers on a bed of lightly steamed shredded green chard. It’s so good I want to make another batch right now.

The salad starts with good ol’ fashioned chicken breasts. Feel free to use whatever cut of chicken you like. My cooking instructions will be for the breasts, but you can use thighs, strips, or even a whole chicken.

I’m making a big batch here, so I’ve got 4 chicken breasts. Half the recipe if you want less. Season your cleaned chicken breasts with salt and pepper or just your favorite steak seasoning.

Pop them in the oven at 400 and bake for 30-40 minutes. When they’re done {juices running clear and the meat is white}, set them aside to cool.

In the meantime, let’s make the Roasted Garlic Paleo Pesto! Check out that recipe here for the detailed instructions. I’ll give you a hint, a lot of basil is involved.

{Note: Don’t be intimidated! It’s really easy.}

I also recommend you toast some extra pine nuts for when you plate the chicken salad. It’ll give the dish an extra crunch.

I doubled the pesto recipe to make enough for the 4 chicken breasts. Ta-daa! Try not to eat it all with a spoon.

If the chicken isn’t quite cool yet, you can go with the puppies to meet the passing golfers! Bet you can’t guess which one is Gus. He blends in so well.

When the chicken is cooled, butterfly it like this.

Then cut those into strips.

Then cut those strips into cubes!

Pour the chicken into a bowl.

And pour your two batches of the Roasted Garlic Paleo Pesto over top.

Give it a stir, and bam! All done. Wasn’t. that. Easy.

Feel free to serve it warm in a bowl and top with a few extra toasted pine nuts.

OR, grab some fluffy green chard.

And spoon some cold or warm chicken salad into a leaf.

Roll it up, chow down, and take a stroll through your family’s college football vacation house backyard. I’m so blessed to have an escape so beautiful.