Spinach salad with chicken

Name: Spinach salad with chicken - Andrada B.
Ingredients: 250 g young spinach; 1 grilled chicken breast; 100 g cow cheese; 1 tomato; salt; pepper; 1 tsp balsamic vinegar; 1 tbsp olive oil

Salad - Spinach salad with chicken by Andrada B. - Recipia

Spinach salad with chicken is suitable for a light meal, especially when you want something simple and not very complicated to prepare. The spinach is used raw, and the grilled chicken breast adds substance. The tomato and cottage cheese complete the salad, and the dressing made of balsamic vinegar and olive oil is added right at the end, before serving. It is important that the spinach leaves are well shaken off water so that the dressing is not diluted. Quick info Total time: not specified in the original recipe; preparation is short, depending on the time needed for grilling and cooling the chicken. Preparation time: not specified. Cooking time: the chicken breast is grilled; the duration is not specified and may vary depending on the thickness of the meat. Servings: not specified. Difficulty: easy. Recipe type: salad with raw spinach, grilled chicken, and cottage cheese. Ingredients 250 g young spinach 1 grilled chicken breast 100 g cottage cheese 1 tomato Salt Pepper 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon olive oil Preparation method 1. Wash the spinach leaves and shake them well to remove water. Place them in a large enough bowl to mix the salad without crushing the leaves. 2. Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper, then grill it. After it is done, let it cool a bit. When it is no longer very hot, cut it into cubes and add it over the spinach. 3. Wash the tomato and dry it. Cut it into cubes and add it to the bowl, over the spinach and chicken. 4. Cut the cottage cheese into cubes and add it to the other ingredients. 5. For the dressing, mix the balsamic vinegar with the olive oil. No other ingredients are needed; salt and pepper are used separately, to taste. 6. Sprinkle salt over the salad and mix gently, so as not to break the spinach leaves and crumble the cheese. 7. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix again, with gentle movements. The dressing should reach as many leaves as possible, not just remain at the bottom of the bowl. 8. Serve the salad immediately after adding the dressing. Why I make the recipe often It is a simple salad, with few ingredients and a short preparation time after the chicken is done. Young spinach does not need complicated preparation, and the combination of chicken, tomato, and cheese is nourishing enough for a light meal. The dressing is made quickly and does not completely cover the taste of the ingredients. I also like that the salad is assembled directly in the bowl. The only thing I pay attention to is not to put the dressing too early. The spinach leaves soften, and the salad is better when served immediately after mixing. Tips Wash the spinach before starting preparation and shake it well to remove water. If the leaves remain wet, the oil and vinegar will mix harder with the salad, and the dressing may become diluted. Let the chicken cool a bit before cutting and adding it over the spinach. Very hot chicken can soften the raw leaves. Cut the ingredients into similarly sized cubes so that each serving contains spinach, chicken, tomato, and cheese. Add salt before the dressing and mix gently, as described in the original recipe. The final taste depends on how salty the cheese is, so it's better to add salt gradually. Do not pour the dressing until the salad is about to be served. Balsamic vinegar and salt draw water from the tomato and soften the spinach if the salad sits mixed for a long time. Substitutions In this version, the main ingredients are young spinach, chicken breast, cottage cheese, tomato, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. The original recipe does not specify substitutions, and changing any of these ingredients alters the taste and texture of the salad. If you have a wetter cottage cheese, let it drain before cutting it into cubes. This way, the salad will not have too much liquid at the bottom of the bowl. For the dressing, follow the indicated quantities: one teaspoon of balsamic vinegar and one tablespoon of olive oil. Variations The basic recipe can be kept exactly as it is, without being loaded with other ingredients. Spinach remains the base of the salad, while chicken, tomato, and cheese provide substance. You can adjust the amount of salt and pepper to taste and how salty the cheese is. The amounts of balsamic vinegar and olive oil are those in the original recipe, so it's preferable to taste the salad after mixing, before adding anything else. For a more uniform texture, you can cut both the chicken and cheese and tomato into similarly sized cubes. This does not change the recipe but makes each bite more balanced. Serving ideas The salad is served immediately after adding the dressing. It is suitable as a light meal since it contains raw spinach, grilled chicken, and cottage cheese. You can put it directly in the bowl in which you mixed the ingredients or divide it into portions after the dressing has been distributed over all the leaves. If you prepare it for several people, it is more practical to mix it carefully so that the chicken and cheese do not stay only at the bottom. Frequently asked questions 1. Can I use regular spinach instead of young spinach? The recipe is made with 250 g of young spinach, which is washed and used raw. Young leaves are more suitable for a salad because they are tender. If you use another type of spinach, keep the same preparation method and ensure that the leaves are well washed and shaken off water. 2. Is the chicken added hot over the spinach? No. After grilling, the chicken breast is allowed to cool a bit, then cut into cubes and added to the salad. It does not need to be completely cold, but it is good for it not to be very hot. 3. When is the dressing added? The dressing is poured after the spinach, chicken, tomato, and cheese have been placed in the bowl and mixed gently with salt. It is added just before serving and distributed through a delicate mix. 4. Can the salad be prepared a few hours in advance? The recipe indicates immediate serving. Spinach and tomato can change their texture after coming into contact with salt and dressing, so the salad is better when assembled and seasoned before the meal. 5. What do I do if the cottage cheese is very soft? Cut it carefully into cubes and mix the salad gently. If the cheese has a lot of liquid, let it drain before putting it in the bowl to avoid adding water to the salad. Nutritional values The values below are estimates for the entire recipe, as the exact weight of the chicken breast is not specified, and cottage cheese may have a different fat content. For the entire salad, the estimate is approximately 700–850 kcal, 75–90 g protein, 25–35 g carbohydrates, and 30–40 g fat. If the salad is divided into two portions, each portion would have approximately 350–425 kcal, 38–45 g protein, 12–18 g carbohydrates, and 15–20 g fat. Most of the protein comes from the chicken breast and cottage cheese. Carbohydrates mainly come from tomato, spinach, and the small amount of balsamic vinegar, while fats come from olive oil, cheese, and chicken, depending on their content. Storage and reheating The salad is served immediately after mixing with the dressing and is not suitable for long-term storage in the fully assembled form. The spinach wilts, and the tomato releases liquid. It is not reheated, as it is a salad with raw spinach and fresh vegetables. If you need to prepare the ingredients in advance, keep them separate and add salt and dressing only before serving. The chicken must be grilled and cooled a bit before being put in the salad, according to the recipe steps.

Spinach salad with chicken

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