This is a great warm weather salad as it can all be served room temperature. The avocado pesto is made without oil so it is a much lighter version than the traditional recipe. If you want to feed a crowd, double the recipe and fire up the grill to do the chicken, everything else can be prepared well ahead.
Serves 6
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness
2 tablespoons unsalted butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil for sautéing chicken
2 cans Cannellini white beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
3 red peppers, cored, seeded and each cut into 16 pieces
1 Vidalia onion cut into quarters and leaves separated
(1 tablespoon of olive oil for roasting)
Lemon Dressing
2 tablespoons lemon juice
6 tablespoons olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees
- On a parchment lined baking sheet toss the red peppers and onions with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and salt to taste. Spread them out in an even layer.
- Roast for about 30 minutes or until they are soft and spots are lightly browned.
- Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight lid and shake to combine.
- Toss the roasted vegetables, beans, and the flat leaf parsley with 3 tablespoons of dressing.
- Heat a sauté pan to medium high heat and add the 2 tablespoons of butter and oil and sauté the chicken breasts until just cooked through and lightly brown. About 3 minutes per side, but depends on how thin they are. Remove from the heat and allow them to rest and finish cooking.
- To serve, top the white bean salad with sliced chicken and a large spoonful of avocado pesto. Finish with a drizzle of the lemon dressing.
I think white beans are a totally underrated ingredient- I love to throw them in dishes like this! Thanks for sharing.
Kim
http://peeledwellness.com
I agree – they can take on almost any flavor making them so versatile and delicious!