Save My neighbor handed me a tomato over the fence last August, still warm from the sun, and said I had to do something special with it. That afternoon I found myself at the grill with chicken breasts and a sudden craving for something bright and Italian, nothing heavy. The smell of basil I'd pinched from the garden mixed with charred chicken, and somehow this salad came together like it had always been waiting to happen. Now it's what I make whenever someone asks what's for dinner and I want to feel like summer on a plate.
I made this for my book club on a Thursday night when I'd promised to bring dinner but forgot until that morning. Everyone thought I'd fussed for hours, and honestly, watching them take that first bite of warm chicken against cool greens and creamy cheese felt like winning something. One friend asked for the recipe right then, and I realized this salad had crossed over from just being good into being the kind of thing people actually remember.
Ingredients
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: Two medium ones give you enough protein without overwhelming the lighter components, and they cook fast on a hot grill.
- Olive oil: Use two tablespoons for the marinade and keep extra-virgin oil for drizzling at the end, where it actually tastes like something.
- Dried Italian herbs: A teaspoon of the blend or your own mix of oregano, basil, and thyme sinks deep into the chicken during those few minutes it sits.
- Garlic powder: Half a teaspoon gives you garlic flavor without burning on the grill like fresh would.
- Salt and black pepper: Half a teaspoon and a quarter teaspoon respectively for the chicken, then more at the table for tasting.
- Mixed salad greens: Four cups of whatever you have on hand, arugula if you want peppery notes or romaine for something milder.
- Large ripe tomatoes: Two of them, sliced thick enough to taste like tomato, which sounds obvious but matters more than you'd think.
- Fresh mozzarella: Eight ounces sliced, and please buy the good kind that actually tastes creamy and mild, not rubbery.
- Fresh basil leaves: Half a cup torn gently with your hands right before serving, never chopped with a knife or it bruises and turns dark.
- Red onion: A quarter of a small one, thinly sliced and optional unless you like that sharp bite cutting through the richness.
- Balsamic vinegar: Half a cup that you'll reduce down until it coats the back of a spoon.
- Honey: One tablespoon to balance the vinegar's sharpness and help it caramelize into something glossy.
Instructions
- Make the glaze first:
- Pour balsamic vinegar and honey into a small saucepan and turn the heat to medium, letting it bubble gently. Stir it every minute or so and watch it transform from thin and dark to thick and syrupy, about eight to ten minutes, then set it aside to cool while you handle the chicken.
- Season the chicken:
- Mix olive oil, Italian herbs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish, then add your chicken breasts and turn them around until they're coated on both sides. Let them sit for ten minutes if you have the time, or skip this if you're hungry now, either way works.
- Get the grill ready and cook:
- Heat your grill or grill pan to medium-high until you can barely hold your hand over it, then lay the chicken down and listen for that sizzle. After six or seven minutes, flip them once and cook the other side the same length of time until the juices run clear when you pierce the thickest part.
- Rest and slice:
- Move the chicken to a plate and let it sit for five minutes, which keeps it juicy instead of dry, then slice it into strips that show off those grill marks.
- Build the salad:
- Spread your greens on a plate or platter, then layer the tomato slices, mozzarella slices, and basil leaves however looks good to you. Scatter red onion over the top if you're using it and the chicken strips go right on next.
- Finish and serve:
- Drizzle everything with extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkle salt and pepper to taste, then pour that reduced balsamic glaze over the whole thing in a generous zigzag. Serve it right away before anything gets soggy.
Save My daughter came home from school one day talking about a food project where she had to describe her favorite meal, and she picked this salad because she said it made her think of Saturday afternoons and the sound of the grill and how everything tasted like it came from somewhere good. That moment, when food becomes a memory before you've even finished eating it, that's when you know you've made something that matters.
Why Fresh Ingredients Change Everything
I learned this the hard way by making this salad with supermarket tomatoes in February, and it was fine, totally edible, but flat. Then summer came and the farmer's market had tomatoes that actually smelled like tomatoes, and the whole dish woke up like someone had turned up the volume. The difference between good and genuinely delicious lives in those tiny details, in ripeness and season and choosing to wait for the right moment.
Making It Your Own
Once you understand how this salad works, you can play with it without breaking anything. I've added sliced peaches when they were in season, swapped the chicken for grilled shrimp one night because that's what I had thawed, and one memorable evening tossed in toasted pine nuts because they were sitting in the pantry looking lonely. The bones of the recipe stay true, but the details are yours to adjust.
The Balsamic Glaze Moment
That reduced balsamic is honestly where the recipe earns its reputation, because reducing vinegar into a glaze feels like kitchen science and tastes like restaurant cooking, but it's one of the easiest things you'll ever make. The transformation from thin to thick, the way it darkens and starts to cling to the spoon, that's the moment you realize you don't need fancy ingredients to impress people, just a little patience and heat.
- Make the glaze while your chicken marinates so everything comes together at the same time.
- If your glaze hardens too much as it cools, just warm it gently for a few seconds and it'll flow again.
- This glaze keeps in a jar in your fridge for weeks and makes everything from roasted vegetables to vanilla ice cream suddenly interesting.
Save This salad turned into my answer for when people ask what I actually cook on regular nights, not the fancy company-coming version but the real-life version that happens because the ingredients are good and the work is minimal. It's become the kind of dinner I make without thinking too hard, which is maybe the highest compliment a recipe can receive.
Kitchen Tips & Answers
- → How do I prepare the balsamic glaze?
Simmer balsamic vinegar with honey over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it reduces by half and becomes syrupy, about 8–10 minutes.
- → What herbs are used to marinate the chicken?
A mix of dried Italian herbs such as oregano, basil, and thyme, combined with garlic powder, salt, and pepper, creates a flavorful marinade.
- → Can I substitute the chicken with another protein?
Yes, grilled shrimp or another preferred protein can be used as alternatives to chicken for variation.
- → What salad greens work best for this dish?
Mixed greens like arugula, spinach, or romaine provide a fresh, crisp base that complements the other ingredients.
- → How should the chicken be cooked for best results?
Grill the marinated chicken over medium-high heat for 6–7 minutes per side until fully cooked and juices run clear, then let it rest before slicing.