Table of Contents
Arugula Chicken Salad (with Mozzarella and Tomatoes) is a delicious dish that may even win over those who are not typically fans of arugula. This salad combines arugula with some of the best summer salad ingredients!
PIN the Arugula Chicken Salad to try it later!
Arugula Chicken Salad (with Mozzarella and Tomatoes) was inspired by a salad I had at a now-closed restaurant in downtown Salt Lake. Before that, I had never considered using arugula in a chopped salad with summer ingredients like fresh mozzarella and tomatoes, but I loved the combination with a zesty dressing.
Over the years, I have made this salad several times, always wishing for better photos. Recently, when cooking with Jakeand Kara, we made the salad again and took new pictures. On that day, my nephew Garrett, his wife Jane, and their kids were staying at my house, and they had fun watching us cook and photograph a couple of recipes.
Garrett was initially hesitant about the arugula in the salad, but after trying it, he loved it and even had seconds! So, if you have guests or family members who are usually not fans of arugula’s flavor, this salad with so many other flavors might just change their minds.
If you are already an arugula fan like me, I hope the new photos will inspire you to make this Arugula Chicken Salad! It is truly unique and delicious for a simple main meal salad that is perfect for lunch or dinner during hot weather when you don’t feel like cooking!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for the complete printable recipe. Alternatively, you can use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page to go directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)
Do you need white balsamic vinegar for the Arugula Chicken Salad?
We used white balsamic vinegar for this recipe to keep the chicken and Mozzarella from turning slightly pink. However, regular balsamic vinegar can also be used and will taste great.
Do you need fresh Mozzarella for the Arugula Chicken Salad
We enjoyed the flavor of fresh Mozzarella in this salad, but if you don’t have it or prefer something else, Feta Cheese or even goat cheese would be delicious substitutes.
How low in carbs is this Arugula Chicken Salad?
This flavorful salad with some favorite ingredients has only 7 net carbs and 30 grams of protein!
How to make Arugula Chicken Salad with Mozzarella and Tomatoes:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for the complete printable recipe. Alternatively, you can use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page to go directly to the complete recipe.)
- Cut up enough leftover cooked chicken to make 2 cups of chopped chicken.
- Cut up the fresh mozzarella into small cubes until you have 1 cup diced mozzarella.
- Whisk together white balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, and season the dressing with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
- Put the diced fresh mozzarella and diced chicken into a small bowl and toss with half the dressing.
- If you buy baby arugula pre-washed in a tub like this you can skip the next step!
- Wash and dry 5 oz. of baby arugula, if your arugula pieces are large coarsely chop with large chef’s knife.
- Cut enough cherry tomatoes in half to make 2 cups cherry tomatoes.
- Put chopped arugula and diced tomatoes into salad bowl and toss with remaining dressing.
- Then mix in the mozzarella cubes and diced chicken you mixed with dressing, gently toss again, season with more salt and fresh ground black pepper if desired.
- Serve Arugula Chicken Salad right away and enjoy! (See tips below if you want to make this salad ahead and take it for lunch to work or take to a party.)
Tips for Making Arugula Chicken Salad ahead:
This could be a great salad to take to work for lunch or to make at home and take to a party. I would cut the Mozzarella and chicken and add the dressing, then put in a container with a snap-on lid. Then chop the arugula and tomatoes and put it in another container. Pack any additional dressing in a small container with a screw-on lid. Combine the salad right before you eat it.
Ingredients
Dressing Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 T white balsamic vinegar (see notes)
- 2 1/2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice (see notes)
- 4 T extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Salad Ingredients:
- 1 cup diced fresh mozzarella cheese
- 2 cups diced cooked chicken breast (see notes)
- 5 oz. baby arugula, washed, dried, and chopped
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half, or diced red garden tomatoes
Instructions
- Cut leftover chicken breast or grilled chicken breast into pieces.
- Cut up the fresh mozzarella into small cubes.
- In a small bowl whisk together white balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, and Dijon mustard, and season dressing to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
- Put mozzarella cubes and diced chicken into a small bowl and toss with half the dressing.
- Wash and dry the baby arugula, then chop coarsely with a large chef’s knife if desired. If the arugula is pretty small you can just skip that step.
- Chop tomatoes or cut cherry tomatoes in half until you have about 2 cups chopped tomato.
- Put chopped arugula and chopped tomatoes into a larger bowl and toss with the remaining dressing (or desired amount if you don’t like a lot of dressing.)
- Add the cubes of mozzarella and diced chicken you mixed with dressing and gently toss again.
- Season salad with more salt and fresh ground black pepper (to taste) and serve immediately.
Notes
I love white balsamic vinegar which is a bit sweeter and milder than regular balsamic vinegar and in this salad it keeps the cheese nice and white to use a lighter vinegar. But if you don’t want to buy a special vinegar regular balsamic vinegar will taste fine, the salad just won’t be quite as pretty. I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice for this salad. I used leftover rotisserie chicken for the salad but you can also poach two chicken breasts in water for about 15 minutes, which will add a bit more time to the preparation.
This recipe was inspired by the Italiano Chopped Salad at Vinto, a now-closed restaurant in downtown Salt Lake City.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4
Serving Size
1
Amount Per Serving
Calories 359Total Fat 23gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 15gCholesterol 82mgSodium 409mgCarbohydrates 9gFiber 2gSugar 5gProtein 30g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutrition