Spring Salad with Chicken

This easy Spring Salad with Chicken is the perfect light meal with a flavorful lemon parmesan dressing! It’s a great way to use up leftover chicken for a simple lunch or dinner.

This delicious Spring Salad with Chicken is light, nutritious, and easy! If you are looking for a healthy meal that requires very little work, this is the recipe for you. These pack easily for lunches and can be thrown together quickly for a busy weeknight dinner! It’s the perfect way to use up leftover grilled or rotisserie chicken, and everyone can easily customize theirs the way they like.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

• Easy – There is no cooking involved in this salad recipe as you are using pre-cooked leftover, rotisserie, or canned chicken. If you prep and freeze individual portions of meat, this is the perfect opportunity to pull something out to use!
• Inexpensive – This recipe works with nearly any salad mix, so feel free to try whatever is on sale! The chicken can be prepped and frozen, and the ingredients list is pretty short. Buy the parmesan wedges in the deli section and shave it yourself for the best bang for your buck.
• Customizable – You will love this salad as a base, but it could easily be jazzed up for anyone’s preferences! Add tomatoes for some acidity, toss in some pickled jalapenos for a little kick, or mix in some cubed bread for a panzanella twist.

What’s in a spring salad mix?

Here is a quick overview of what you will need for this recipe. For exact measurements, keep scrolling down to the printable recipe card below.

• Cooked chicken – You can use sliced, shredded, or cubed chicken in this recipe; basically whatever you have leftover or already prepped will do just fine! To avoid cooking at all, just grab a rotisserie or canned chicken from the store.
• Greens – I used a pre-mixed “spring salad” package that included spinach, peppery arugula, red leaf, baby butter, and more. You can use any lettuce you prefer or even include fresh herbs like basil or mint.
• Red onion – These are sliced thin and pack a big punch! If you prefer a milder flavor, swap them for shallots.
• Avocado – Should be ripe but not too soft if you want it to hold up to tossing. This is optional and can be skipped, but it adds a beautifully creamy texture to the salad.
• Shaved parmesan – You can use grated parmesan if that is easier, but I love the bite from the big shaved pieces of cheese. Feta cheese or goat cheese could add a wonderful flavor!
• Pine Nuts – Feel free to replace with crushed walnuts, slivered almonds, chopped pecans, or even chickpeas if you prefer.
• For the dressing: Olive oil, grated parmesan, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. This lemon parmesan vinaigrette is simple, tangy, and works as a great chicken marinade, too! If you prefer a sweet-savory combination, you may like to add a touch of honey or maple syrup.

How to make a spring salad with chicken

This is so easy, and it requires very little work! Simply halve the salad greens between two bowls, then top each with half the chicken, parmesan, red onions, and pine nuts. Drizzle two tablespoons (more or less, depending on your preferences) of dressing on each and serve immediately. The dressing could be mixed up to a week in advance and stored in the fridge for easy prep.

What to serve with salad

When enjoying this salad, we love to serve a side of Cheddar Cornbread Muffins or Instant Pot Potatoes if need a heartier meal. You could start with an appetizer like Jalapeno Poppers or Smashed Brussels Sprouts, too. Parmesan Chaffles work great as low-carb croutons if you want to add more of a crunch–Just cut into cubes and toast for an easy, keto-friendly topping!

Store

It is best to make these salads fresh to keep the greens crisp and the avocado fresh. Prep the salad ahead of time by portioning out the chicken, onions, and parmesan into their own containers separate from the greens. Avocados will brown quickly once exposed to air, so I recommend waiting to do that until you’re assembling the salad to eat.

For lunches, I love using a compartmentalized container like this so everything keeps the best texture. The parmesan dressing can be stored for at least a week in the fridge. This is the shaker I use for the dressing – It is super convenient for mixing, storing, and pouring.

FAQ’s about salads with chicken

What is in a spring salad?

A spring salad usually has a mix of greens like spinach, arugula, red leaf and green leaf lettuces, etc. Stores often sell pre-mixed blends, but any salad greens will work for this recipe.

What are the best toppings for salad?

I love to keep it simple, but a few toppings add great variety of tastes and textures! Croutons and nuts add a great crunch while roasted vegetables add great substance and flavor. You could push this salad over the top with some bacon, sliced cucumbers, snap peas, some asparagus, sliced radishes, shredded carrots, sliced strawberries, and chopped tomatoes!

How much salad dressing should you use?

Salad dressing is entirely a preference. Some people love to use a ton while others prefer to barely dampen the leaves. I used 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) per salad for a moderately dressed salad.

Can I use a different protein?

Sure, this versatile salad would work well with tons of different flavors and proteins. Leftover pork chops, grilled shrimp, or garlic butter steak bites would be fantastic. To keep it meatless, try adding marinated, grilled tofu!

If you like this light salad, you’ll love these other easy salads:

• Easy Wedge Salad
• Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
• Kale Salad with Cranberries
• Simple Arugula Salad with Parmesan
• White Bean Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette