Fresh, nutritious, and totally delicious - this green pea salad features honey grilled chicken breast atop a bed of crisp lettuce with vibrant peas, red onions, colorful radishes, fresh mint, and a tangy mustard vinaigrette. Healthy and hearty, this peas and lettuce salad makes the perfect warm weather side dish or entree. Recipe can be scaled up or down by using the slider if you hover your mouse over the number of Servings.
OptionalMix-ins:Grated Parmesan, Toasted Walnuts, Microgreens, Croutons, Crushed Red Pepper Flakes(See notes section below for a comprehensive list)
Instructions
Marinate the chicken: In a small non-reactive bowl combine the honey, oil, garlic, lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon pepper and ½ teaspoon salt. Whisk until well combined. Place the chicken in a large resealable storage bag and pour the marinade on top. Seal the bag and transfer the chicken to the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes, or up to 2 hours.
Grill the chicken: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill, turning once, about 5-8 minutes per side, or until cooked through (SEE NOTES). During the last few minutes of grilling, brush the tops of the chicken with honey if desired. Transfer chicken to a clean work surface and allow to rest for at least 3 minutes. Cut the chicken into thick slices. (Optional: toss the chicken slices with a few tablespoons of honey mustard dressing.)
Toss Salad: To a large bowl, add the lettuce, peas, mint, radishes, red onion, and any other salad mix-ins you love. Drizzle a small amount of salad dressing over the top and then toss well to combine. Transfer the tossed pea lettuce salad to serving plates and top with the sliced grilled chicken.
Garnish and Serve: Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese and freshly cracked black pepper, if using. Serve with remaining salad dressing on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
You can use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts if you would like. Simply adjust the grill time accordingly. The amount of time the chicken takes to cook through will depend on the thickness of your chicken. Chicken is cooked through when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Marinating: For the most flavor, I highly suggest you let the chicken marinate for the full two hours. However, if you are short on time you can let it marinate for as little as 20 minutes.
Dressing: You can use store-bought or homemade. I prefer homemade or a honey dijon vinaigrette here.
While entirely optional, I recommend cutting the grilled chicken (after it has rested) and tossing it with a few tablespoons of the mustard dressing before serving. It adds a ton of flavor and moisture to the chicken. Plus, if you dress the chicken, you won't need to put as much dressing on the actual salad.
Customize it! This salad recipe is endlessly customizable. I've included a pretty extensive list of ingredients that pair well here in the article above. But here's a quick reference cheat for you:
Crunch: Toasted walnuts or candied walnuts, sunflower seeds, slivered almonds, croutons, or roasted chickpeas
Protein. Crispy bacon, crispy prosciutto, rotisserie chicken, leftover salmon, grilled shrimp, hard boiled eggs, or tofu.
Veggies. Asparagus, avocado, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, carrots, edamame beans, sugar snap peas, roasted sweet potatoes or butternut squash cubes all work well here.
Greens: You can use different salad greens, or add microgreens, and whatever fresh herbs you love. (dill, chives, parsley, scallions, or basil)
Grains: Barley, farro, or rice
Nutritional information is an estimate based upon 4 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.