This Chicken, Bacon and Avocado Chopped Salad is tossed with a simple red wine vinaigrette, and always tastes so fresh and delicious.
I’m starting to believe that there are few things more wonderful in life than having the windows open.
Ever since the weather has warmed up these past few weeks, I’ve had a fresh breeze blowing through my house pretty much 24/7, and I’m convinced that it makes every single moment of the day all the more delightful. From getting out of bed in the morning, to trying to stay focused on work during the afternoon, to making dinner and doing dishes and hanging out in the evening, to falling fast asleep at night — there’s something about having fresh air fill the house again that just makes everything just feel noticeably more peaceful and lovely.
Spring, I’m so happy you’re back to stay.
This warmer season also has me craving all sorts of light and fresh meals. And the other day, I returned to a nostalgic favorite green salad of mine that I thought was worth sharing here again. It’s loaded up with so many of my faves — creamy avocado, tender chicken, crispy bacon, fresh greens, tangy blue cheese, ripe tomatoes, all tossed together with a simple red wine vinaigrette. It’s a fresh, flavorful, hearty entrée salad that I first shared here on the blog nearly a decade ago yet still love just as much to this day. So if you have yet to give it a try, I highly recommend it!
Chicken, Bacon and Avocado Chopped Salad
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients:
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and diced
- 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 head of Romaine lettuce (about 8 ounces), chopped
- 1 large avocado, diced
- 1 pound (about 2-3 cups) diced cooked chicken
- half a small red onion, very thinly sliced
Red Wine Vinaigrette Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- pinch of fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Make the vinaigrette. Vigorously whisk all ingredients together in a mixing bowl (or shake together in a sealed jar) until completely emulsified.
- Toss the salad. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle evenly with the vinaigrette, and toss gently to combine.
- Serve. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
How long does the dressing keep? Thanks!
Hi Jen! The dressing should keep (in the fridge) for about a week. We hope you enjoy!
SO. GOOD!
I cut the dressing recipe in half because I only wanted a small salad for myself, still MORE than enough! I added probably about a tablespoon of honey also because WOW that apple cider vinegar is tart! And added just a little shallot as well.
Instead of blue cheese I used a little shredded sharp cheddar and fresh shredded Parmesan. I also added shredded carrots. This is the BEST salad I have had in a loooong time. Thank you for sharing!!!!
We’re so happy you enjoyed this, Caryn — thanks for sharing with us! :)
Was googling for chopped salad recipes. Didn’t expect to find one from my home town of Salina Kansas!! ? I do love martinellis chopped salad. It is very popular here. Happy to have the recipe! Thank you.
We’re so glad to hear that, Jill! We hope you enjoy this! :)
Delicious! I added some roasted beets, cold and chopped which added some nice color and flavor. This recipe is a definite make again go-to! Thank you!
We’re glad you enjoyed it Janet! Those roasted beets sound like an amazing addition too! :)
We have made this recipe many times and love it.
This recipe calls for 1.5 cups of olive oil. I made it this way the first time I made it, and we all felt so sick after eating it. Way too much oil!! Ever since, I use only 1/2 cup oil and it’s perfect.
Thanks for sharing with us Elle — we appreciate your feedback!
i absolutely loved this salad. I paired it with garlic bread and a glass of wine.
Thanks Rashawn, we’re happy to hear that, and that garlic bread and wine sound lovely! :)
I was just in Salina, KS last weekend and had this salad at the restaurant! It was amazing and was searching for a recipe similar to it! Amazing my favorite food blogger has the recipe! Thanks Ali!
Delicious salad.Thanks for recipe.
Thanks, we’re glad you liked it!
This is a delicious salad!
Thanks Angela!
Was excited to come across this on Pinterest. After living in many huge cities I chose to move back to Salina Kansas…a not so small town if you mosey out to our surrounding towns, we are just comfy and this salad is a favorite of our city. Thanks for mentioning us, and enjoy our salad!