Italian Three Cheese Chicken Salad

It's full of flavor, made with pesto, Italian cheeses, herbs and toasted almonds.
5 from 1 vote
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Mix things up with this amazing chicken salad. It’s full of flavor, made with pesto, Italian cheeses, herbs and toasted almonds.

Italian Three Cheese Chicken Salad in a white bowl



When you need a delicious, cool and easy summer lunch, chicken salad is one of the best!

I love making a quick chicken salad and having it in a fridge for a sandwiches or wraps the nest day. A scoop of chicken salad is also perfect on top of leaf salads, especially ones loaded with fruit.

But the best part that I like about chicken salads is that I can knock out two meals practically at the same time. I always make chicken salad when I make brothy soup for the little man, and the other way around. Normally, I only need one chicken breast to make soup for my little guy and the rest of the package is unaccounted for. So, I cook the entire package of chicken (usually 3-4 beasts) in enough water to be saved for broth afterwards. I also add a bay leaf and dried coriander seeds to water. It makes a nice, flavorful broth for soup and adds extra flavor to chicken.

If you will be saving the broth after cooking the chicken to use in soup later, make sure to store it in the refrigerator, in an air-tight container. Also, make sure to use the broth within a couple of days. It does not have a very long shelf life.

Italian Three Cheese Chicken Salad in a white bowl on a cutting board with a fork to the right side

white bowl filled with italian three cheese chicken salad on a wooden cutting board with a fork below the rim of the bowl to the right

Italian Three Cheese Chicken Salad

It's full of flavor, made with pesto, Italian cheeses, herbs and toasted almonds.
5 from 1 vote
Print Rate
Course: lunch
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 About 4 cups
Calories: 499kcal
Author: Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

  • 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/3 cup chopped toasted almonds lightly salted or unsalted
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 Tbsp minced Italian parsley fresh
  • 2 Tbsp minced dill weed fresh
  • 1 Tbsp pesto
  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • 2 Tbsp fresh grated Parmesan
  • 2 Tbsp fresh grated Romano
  • 2 Tbsp fresh grated Asiago
  • Salt fresh cracked black pepper

Instructions

  • Boil chicken breast until fully cooked, with a little salt and pepper in the water. Set aside to cool until easy to handle. (*You can save the water that you cooked chicken in to use as broth in soups. Pour it into a jar with a lid and make sure to keep refrigerated. Use within a couple of days. You can also add a bay leaf while cooking chicken if you know you will be saving water for soup.)
  • Once chicken is cooled, dice it and place in a large mixing bowl.
  • Chop almonds and add them to the chicken.
  • Mince herbs and add them to the chicken.
  • Add pressed garlic, cheeses, pesto, mayo, salt and pepper. Mix well with a wooden spoon, until all thoroughly incorporated.
  • Transfer into an air-tight container and refrigerate until cold and ready to serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 499kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 127mg | Sodium: 521mg | Potassium: 745mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 378IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles or tag #willcookforsmiles!

Italian Three Cheese Chicken Salad in a white bowl with a fork laying to the right side and a can of blue almonds in the background

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Italian Three Cheese Chicken Salad in a bowl with a fork lifting some out

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 Italian Three Cheese Chicken Salad in a bowl with a fork

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All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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