Time to elevate your salad game with a high-protein Broccoli Chicken Salad. This vibrant and flavorful dish combines the goodness of fresh vegetables, lean protein, and a zesty dressing, making it a perfect choice for a light lunch, a satisfying dinner, or a nutritious meal prep option.
What is Chicken Broccoli Salad?
Chicken Broccoli Salad is a nutrient-packed dish inspired by wholesome American cuisine. It typically features tender chicken, crisp broccoli florets, and a mix of other fresh vegetables, often tossed with a light dressing. This salad offers a balanced combination of macronutrients and micronutrients, making it a healthy and delicious meal option.
Ingredients and Variations
The beauty of Chicken Broccoli Salad lies in its versatility. While the core ingredients remain the same - chicken and broccoli - you can easily customize the salad to suit your taste preferences and dietary needs.
A basic recipe might include:
- Chicken: Grilled, baked, or rotisserie chicken breast, shredded or diced.
- Broccoli: Fresh broccoli florets, steamed or blanched for a crisp-tender texture.
- Vegetables: A mix of fresh vegetables like carrots, red onions, bell peppers, cucumber, or grape tomatoes.
- Dressing: A light and tangy dressing, such as a yogurt-based dressing or a vinaigrette.
Here are some popular variations and additions:
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- Cheese: For extra fat, flavor, and calories, try adding cheese. Sharp white cheddar cheese, feta cheese, or shredded Swiss cheese might add some additional flavor.
- Nuts and Seeds: Sunflower seeds, almonds, or walnuts for added crunch and healthy fats.
- Fruits: Dried cranberries or raisins for a touch of sweetness.
- Herbs: Fresh herbs like parsley, dill, or chives for added flavor and aroma.
Nutritional Information
Chicken Broccoli Salad is a relatively low-calorie yet filling meal, making it a smart choice for weight management. Let's take a closer look at the nutritional profile of a typical serving.
Chicken Salad Chick Broccoli Salad (4 oz):
- Calories: 170
- Fat: 13g (17% DV)
- Saturated Fat: 4g (18% DV)
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 20mg (7% DV)
- Sodium: 160mg (7% DV)
- Carbohydrates: 10g (4% DV)
- Net Carbs: 8g
- Fiber: 2g (7% DV)
- Sugar: 7g
- Protein: 6g
- Calcium: 0mg (0% DV)
- Iron: 0mg (0% DV)
Chicken Broccoli Salad (1 serving, 328g):
- Calories: 308
Macronutrient Breakdown (Chicken Salad Chick Broccoli Salad):
- Carbs: 22%
- Fat: 65%
- Protein: 13%
Vitamins and Minerals:
Broccoli is rich in vitamins C and K, which are essential for immune health and blood clotting. Chicken provides high-quality protein, which supports muscle repair and growth.
Health Benefits
Chicken Broccoli Salad offers a wide range of health benefits due to its nutrient-rich ingredients:
- Weight Management: The combination of lean protein, fiber, and healthy fats helps promote satiety and control appetite, making it easier to manage weight.
- Muscle Building and Repair: Chicken is a complete protein source, providing all the essential amino acids needed for muscle growth and repair.
- Improved Digestion: Broccoli is a good source of fiber, which promotes healthy digestion and prevents constipation.
- Boosted Immunity: Vitamin C in broccoli helps strengthen the immune system and protect against infections.
- Bone Health: Vitamin K in broccoli is essential for bone health and helps prevent osteoporosis.
Making Your Own Chicken Broccoli Salad
Making Chicken Broccoli Salad at home is easy and fun. Here's a simple recipe to get you started:
Ingredients:
- 150g Chicken Breast
- 1/2 cup (45g) Broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup (18g) Lettuce
- 1/2 medium (30g) Carrot
- 1 tablespoon (10ml) Oil
- 1/2 cup (60g) Cucumber
- 1 tablespoon (15g) Lemon Juice
- Mayonnaise
- Yogurt
- Garlic, Salt and Pepper to taste.
Instructions:
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Pour half the oil into the pan, spread, and add the chicken.
- Cook each side for 3-4 minutes, or until cooked as desired. Remove from the pan and let cool slightly.
- Cut the broccoli into small florets, wash, and boil in a pot with a pinch of salt for 3 minutes. Remove and drain.
- Cut the lettuce, cucumber, and carrot for the salad.
- In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper together very well. This can be done with a food processor or hand emulsion blender.
- Combine the cooked chicken, broccoli, lettuce, cucumber, and carrot in a large bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat.
- Serve immediately or chill for later.
Tips and Considerations:
- Chicken: You can use pre-packaged shredded chicken in this recipe. Sometimes there may be added seasonings that may or may not pair well with the rest of the salad ingredients, so keep that in mind.
- Broccoli: It is not recommended to use thawed frozen broccoli as it will cause the salad to become soggy, and add additional water to the dressing.
- Dressing: If you think mayonnaise is nasty or don’t want to consume it try using sour cream or cream cheese, softened to room temperature, as a substitute to make the creamy dressing for this salad. When substituting mayonnaise, consider the flavor profile you desire for your salad.
Storage
This chicken salad is ideal for meal prep. This chicken salad is ideal for meal prep. Store leftover Chicken Broccoli Salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Read also: Low-carb chicken nuggets recipe.
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