I first made this salad because I had so much asparagus leftover from this lemon pepper chicken and asparagus and I was looking for an excuse to eat more of it. I tossed it on my salad on a whim, straight out of the fridge, completely cold, and it was completely good. But then I ate all the cold stuff, so the next time I did it with the asparagus roasted just before serving and then we had that great hot-cold salad thing going on.
The combo of salty and crunchy and creamy is overwhelmingly yum. And the freshness of the basil and the beauty of the roasted asparagus –> things just went to the next level.
CHICKEN BACON AVOCADO SALAD WITH ROASTED ASPARAGUS
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Recipe Modified from: pinchofyum
Ingredients
- 8 slices good quality gluten free thick bacon
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cups chopped asparagus
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning (more to taste)
- 4 cups spinach, cut or torn into bite-sized pieces
- 8 ounces chicken breast slices (I get it from the deli counter)
- 1 large ripe avocado
- ¼ cup good quality olive oil (I got mine from a Hampton's Lane package)
- ¼ cup good quality balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Fry the bacon according to package directions (I go for crispy on this one). Drain on a paper towel lined plate and crumble or chop into bite-sized pieces.
- Melt the butter in a small skillet over high heat. Add the asparagus, sprinkle with lemon pepper, and saute until golden brown and roasty-looking. I like the little charred pieces so I cooked it a little longer - you can cook for as long as you like depending on how you like your asparagus.
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Layer the spinach, chicken, asparagus, and bacon. Cut the avocado into slices and scoop out with a spoon; arrange over the top of the salad. Drizzle or toss with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Top with fresh basil, salt and pepper.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 356 Saturated fat: 6.2g Trans fat: 0.0g Carbohydrates: 9.8g Sodium: 530mg Protein: 18.7g Cholesterol: 46g
Photo Credit: pinchofyum