🥗 Salads & bowls
Chicken caprese dense bean salad
Grilled, herby, balsamic, and absurdly lunchable
⏱️ Time estimate: about 40 minutes
Chicken thighs and corn get grilled, then tossed with tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, chickpeas, white beans, avocado, and a glossy balsamic dressing.
Ingredients
For the spice rub
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
For the grill
- 1 pound chicken thighs
- 2 ears of corn
For the salad
- 1 container cherry tomatoes, sliced
- 2 tablespoons basil, chiffonaded
- 1 container mini mozzarella balls (16 ounces)
- 1 can chickpeas (15 ounces)
- 1 can white beans (15 ounces)
- 2 avocados
For the dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Season the chicken. Stir together the garlic powder, oregano, cumin, Aleppo pepper, salt, and olive oil. Rub it all over the chicken.
- Prep the corn. Shuck the corn, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt.
- Grill everything. Grill the chicken over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes per side until cooked through. Grill the corn about 5 minutes per side until nicely charred.
- Build the salad base. Halve the tomatoes, slice the basil, drain the mozzarella, rinse the beans, and dice the avocado. Add them to a large bowl.
- Add the grilled bits. Once the chicken and corn have cooled slightly, dice the chicken and cut the corn off the cob. Add both to the bowl.
- Mix the dressing. Whisk or froth together the olive oil, balsamic, lemon juice, Dijon, salt, oregano, Aleppo pepper, garlic powder, and honey until smooth.
- Toss and serve. Dress the salad and toss until everything is well coated.