Pesto Chicken Caprese Salad
🌿🍅🧀 Homemade pesto coats every bite of JUICY chicken, tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella in this chicken caprese salad! Ready in 20 minutes and loaded with flavor!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 401cal
Equipment
Ingredients
Pesto
- 1 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves from about one 4-ounce container
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 to 3 cloves garlic to taste
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste if desired
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
- ⅓ to ½ cup HemisFares Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Chicken
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ¼ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast diced into bite-sized pieces
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
- ⅓ cup pesto
Caprese Salad
- 1 ½ cups cherry or grape tomatoes halved if desired
- one 8-ounce container fresh mozzarella ‘pearls’ or small mozzarella balls drained
- 10 leaves fresh basil torn in half
- 1 to 2 tablespoons balsamic reduction or balsamic glaze for drizzling or to taste
Instructions
Make the Pesto:
- To the canister of a food processor fitted with the S-blade, add the basil, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic, lemon juice (helps pesto from oxidizing as quickly) salt, pepper, and blend on high speed momentarily to break ingredients down.
- With the motor running, drizzle in the olive until the pesto is smooth and emulsified; set aside.
Make the Chicken:
- To a large skillet, add the olive oil, chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook over medium-high heat; stir and flip intermittently so chicken cooks evenly.
- When chicken is about 90% cooked through, add the pesto, stir to combine, reduce the heat to low, and allow the chicken to simmer in the pesto for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until chicken is done (internal temp of 165F).
Assemble the Caprese Salad:
- To a large bowl, add the chicken including the pesto/pan juices, mozzarella, basil, evenly drizzle with balsamic, stir to combine, and serve immediately. Dish is best fresh.
Notes
Storage: Extra pesto will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days, noting it will oxidize as time passes although the lemon juice helps to minimize this.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 401cal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 1346mg | Potassium: 731mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 861IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 2mg
