It’s September Whole30 time! While I am not doing a Whole30 right now, I still love using September as a month to reset and rejuvenate myself with my food. For me, that means beautiful salads like this Whole30 Chopped Salad. And I love pairing this salad with my creamy chive citrus dressing, absolutely delicious!

The beauty of this Whole30 Chopped Salad is you can use any produce you enjoy and have on hand. I used cucumbers, tomatoes, green onions, Marinated Onions and avocados on mine. If you use avocados, just remember to leave them out of the salad until you’ve tossed it. Waiting will help make sure they don’t turn to mush and you will still have those beautiful chunks.

For the proteins in this salad, I used egg, chicken, and bacon. The eggs require a bit of finesse in this recipe. You want them slightly harder than a jammy egg so that the yolk can act almost like a cheese in the salad. This is one of my favorite hacks for Whole30! Adding the creaminess to the salad makes all the difference. For the chicken and bacon, of course I used my Everyday Roast Chicken Breasts and Oven Bacon.

Finally, I was so excited about this nut cluster I made for crunch in the salad. This combination of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pecans, and sesame seeds is an amazing addition to the salad. This is my Whole30 solution for croutons. It adds a great toasted and crunchy flavor that make a huge difference in your salad.

If you make the Whole30 chopped salad, be sure to rate and review it below. Let me know if you made any swaps! I love hearing about how you adopt the recipes to be your own. Think of the recipe as a guide, but not a rule. Don’t be afraid to make adjustments and switch things out as you need. And of course, follow along on Pinterest and Instagram for more inspiration!

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September Whole30 Chopped Salad

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  • Author: Teri Turner
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings
  • Category: Salad
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

This Whole30 Chopped Salad is perfect for weeknight eating and something that the whole family will enjoy.


Ingredients

For the Chicken:

1 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 

Seed Sprinkle:

½ cup mixture of raw, unsalted pumpkin, sunflower and chopped pecans

1 tablespoon raw white sesame seeds

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Dash of red pepper flakes, optional

 

For the Salad:

½ package (around 6 – 8 slices) of Whole30 compatible bacon

4 to 5 large eggs

4.5 ounces baby romaine or greens of choice

1 cup sun gold tomatoes, cut in half

½ cup sliced cucumbers

¼ cup sliced scallions

¼ to ½ cup Marinated Red Onions, chopped

1/2 cup Creamy Chive Citrus Dressing 

1 avocado, peeled and cut into chunks


Instructions

Make the chicken:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

 

Rub every crevice generously with olive oil, then sprinkle with plenty of kosher salt and black pepper. 

Bake for about 35 minutes, then brush the top of the chicken with the juices. Return to oven for 5 minutes to brown the top. 

Remove from oven. If it isn’t browned enough at this point, baste again, turn up the oven temp, and bake for another 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Once cooled, cut into chunks.

Make the Seed Sprinkle:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

 

In a small bowl, toss together the nuts, seeds, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and red pepper flakes, if desired. Spread the seed mixture out on a small baking sheet and cook in the oven until the seeds are fragrant and just beginning to brown, for about 5 minutes.

 

Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

 

Make the Oven Bacon:

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. 

 

Place the bacon flat, in one layer, on the sheet pan.  Cook in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the bacon reaches your preferred crispiness. Set aside.

 

Once it is slightly cooled, chop the bacon into ½-inch pieces.

 

Make the Jammy Hard Boiled Eggs:

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring 2 quarts of water to a gentle boil. Carefully add the eggs to the water and cook for 9 minutes, adjust the heat as necessary to prevent the water from boiling too rapidly and cracking the eggs. 

 

Meanwhile, prepare an ice water bath. When the eggs are done, immediately remove them with a slotted spoon and gently put them in the ice water. Let them rest for 1 minute.  Working quickly, peel the eggs and remove and set aside the egg yolks.  (You can discard the whites or slip them into a smoothie or a chicken or tuna salad for added protein.) 

Assemble the Salad:

Chop the baby romaine then put it into a large bowl. Season the greens with salt. Add the bacon, tomatoes, cucumber, scallions, marinated onions, 2 cups of chicken and seeds. Using your hands, crumble the egg yolks over the salad. Add four tablespoons the Creamy Chive Citrus Dressing, or more if needed. Toss to fully combine. Top with the avocado and enjoy!