Red Pesto Chicken Salad
Everyone needs to try this Red Pesto Chicken Salad! Lovely and simple to throw together, we’ve marinated the chicken in sweet, tomatoey red pesto – and it doubles-up as a salad dressing too! We promise every last bite of crunchy salad veggies, crumbly feta and juicy chicken is bursting with garlicky, herby flavour.
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NutritionPer Serving
- Calories345
- Carbs7.1g
- Protein37g
- Fat18g
- Saturates3.1g
- Sugars5.6g
For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card below. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff in the blurb!
We know lots of you love green pesto, but how many of you have tried red pesto? It’s usually made from sundried tomatoes or red peppers, so it’s sweeter and just as delicious as the pesto you’re more familiar with.
To bring you sunshine on a plate, we’ve mixed some red pesto with garlic, sweetener and a splash of balsamic vinegar to create an easy marinade that doubles-up as a salad dressing. You’ll use half of it to infuse the chicken with rich, tomatoey flavour, and save the rest to drizzle over the salad right before serving.
The longer you leave your chicken to marinate in the fridge, the more intense the flavour. If you’re pushed for time, we really recommend letting it sit for at least half an hour. This will give the pesto a chance to work its magic, so it’ll taste incredible once it’s cooked!
You’ll want to assemble your salad right before serving, so the vegetables are nice and fresh, and the toasted pine nuts still have the perfect crunch.
What diets is this Red Pesto Chicken Salad suitable for?
Our Red Pesto Chicken Salad can be enjoyed on gluten-free diets. It can also be made dairy free, as long as you substitute the feta cheese and pesto for suitable dairy-free alternatives.
If you’re cooking for people with allergies, be extra careful when checking ingredients and preparing food!
Do you need any special ingredients to make Red Pesto Chicken Salad?
Nope! You’ll find red pesto in the supermarket alongside the jars of regular green pesto.
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How many calories are in this Red Pesto Chicken Salad?
There are 345 calories per portion in this Red Pesto Chicken Salad recipe, which means it falls into our Everyday Light recipe category. If you’re counting calories or following one of the popular diet plans like Weight Watchers, this recipe fits in perfectly!
NHS guidelines suggest men should aim for 2,500 calories per day to maintain a healthy body weight, and women require around 2000 calories. Each person has different calorie requirements depending on their goal, so you may want to adjust your daily calorie intake according to your own personal goal.
Step 1
In a small bowl, combine the pesto, water, balsamic vinegar, garlic and sweetener. Season with a little salt and pepper.
Step 2
Add the chicken to a bowl and pour over half the pesto dressing. Coat the chicken, cover and pop into the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes. If you have time, leave it longer to allow the flavours to develop further.
Step 3
Add the pine nuts to a small frying pan and set on a low heat. Heat for 2 minutes until the pine nuts are lightly toasted and golden. Leave to one side.
Step 4
Assemble the salad. Divide the lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber between two plates. Crumble over the feta cheese and sprinkle over the pine nuts.
Step 5
Once the chicken has marinated, spray a frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray. Set on a medium heat and add the chicken to the pan. Cook for 10 minutes, moving the chicken round the pan to brown on all sides. Check that the chicken is cooked through, and no pinkness remains.
Step 6
Add the chicken to the top of the salad, drizzle over the remaining dressing and serve.
What could I serve with this Red Pesto Chicken Salad?
This recipe is delicious as a light lunch or dinner. If you like, you could serve it alongside other summery dishes such as the following:
How do you know when Red Pesto Chicken Salad is cooked?
You’ll need to cook the chicken until the juices run clear and there is no pinkness left in the middle. This should take about 10 minutes.
Here in the UK, the standard advice is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and maintained that temperature for 2 minutes. This is to keep you and your family safe!
How long can you keep Red Pesto Chicken Salad in the fridge?
We recommend that you serve and eat this recipe right away. Like lots of salads, it’ll taste best when it’s freshly made. You could prepare the marinade/salad dressing in advance and leave the chicken to marinate in the fridge for a few hours.
Can I freeze Red Pesto Chicken Salad?
This recipe is not suitable for freezing.
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Red Pesto Chicken Salad
Everyone needs to try this Red Pesto Chicken Salad! Lovely and simple to throw together, we’ve marinated the chicken in sweet, tomatoey red pesto – and it doubles-up as a salad dressing too! We promise every last bite of crunchy salad veggies, crumbly feta and juicy chicken is bursting with garlicky, herby flavour.
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Prep Time
10 MINS
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Cook Time
15 MINS
- KCals 345
- Carbs 7.1G
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the pesto, water, balsamic vinegar, garlic and sweetener. Season with a little salt and pepper.
- Add the chicken to a bowl and pour over half the pesto dressing. Coat the chicken, cover and pop into the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes. If you have time, leave it longer to allow the flavours to develop further.
- Add the pine nuts to a small frying pan and set on a low heat. Heat for 2 minutes until the pine nuts are lightly toasted and golden. Leave to one side.
- Assemble the salad. Divide the lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber between two plates. Crumble over the feta cheese and sprinkle over the pine nuts.
- Once the chicken has marinated, spray a frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray. Set on a medium heat and add the chicken to the pan. Cook for 10 minutes, moving the chicken round the pan to brown on all sides. Check that the chicken is cooked through, and no pinkness remains.
- Add the chicken to the top of the salad, drizzle over the remaining dressing and serve.
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2 comments
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TrinaTuesday 30th July 2024
Hi! What reduced fat feta cheese would you suggest using please? I can never find this cheese, only reduced fat salad cheese which is not the same. Thank you.
HollyFriday 9th August 2024
Hey Trina, Supermarkets sometimes label the reduced fat feta as light or reduced fat salad cheese because if they are made outside of Greece or from cow’s milk. Hope that helps!
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