Making Karen’s Chicken Caprese Salad

Summertime calls for easy, easy, REALLY EASY recipes! Either you’re too hot or too busy to cook! Or maybe you’re like me…you just plain ol’ don’t want to! No matter the reason, it’s nice to have an easy recipe to fall back on, right? Karen’s Caprese Chicken Salad is JUST the thing! Fresh ingredients is key…but there’s so few ingredients that it shouldn’t be a problem.

So gather the following:

  • cooked chopped chicken…or grab a Bell & Evans rotisserie chicken from Dark Horse
  • grape tomatoes, sliced in half
  • cubed mozzarella
  • basil
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • quality olive oil, like Ariston
  • quality balsamic vinegar, like Ariston
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • romaine lettuce

This is one of those recipes that the quantity you use is really all just based on your taste and desire. If you like a lot of tomatoes, use a lot! Same goes with the chicken and the mozzarella.

Step 1: Mix your chopped tomatoes & cubed mozzarella with some olive oil and the minced garlic.

Step 2: Add the cooked cubed chicken and chopped basil. The amount of basil is up to you. Karen said she tends to hold back because her daughter finds it to be a strong flavor. You can always start with a small amount and add more later if your taste buds are asking for it. Then salt & pepper to taste, then mix.

Step 3: Making the glaze. Combine 2 TBSP balsamic vinegar & 1 TBSP sugar in a saucepan. Bring it to a simmer, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Pour it into a small bowl & set it aside to cool.

Step 4: Place romaine in individual salad bowls, scoop some chicken/tomato/mozzarella salad on top & then drizzle with the balsamic glaze.

Karen said this salad has worked really well in the past with many of her other favorite veggies…cucumbers, peppers, and onions to name a few. It’s not a true “caprese” then, but does that really matter? Also, if there’s a vegetarian in your house, separate the mozzarella/tomato mixture into two bowls before adding the chicken…making two separate salads. Your veggie-friend will still get lots of protein by eating the mozzarella.

Thanks for reading! Let us know what you think!