Gazpacho Chopped Salad with Grilled Chicken and Sourdough Croutons

I think grilling makes everything taste better for some reason. I don’t even have a “real” grill that uses wood or charcoal. I’ve got a propane grill and it still is miles above using the broiler on my oven or worse… baking chicken and other things. I can endure all kinds of flavors and foods for the sake of eating, but baked chicken breasts are where I draw the line. I’d rather starve. 😉

Since I’m on a salad kick, I’m once again chopping and chopping up veggies to make another chopped salad version. I really liked the Spicy Chopped Salad the other day with shrimp, so I tried a slightly different variation of veggies this time and used chicken instead of shrimp. Still quite simple to throw together even with adding in grill time. I had some leftover sourdough bread so I grilled those alongside the chicken and cut them up for croutons. Brilliant idea!

Gazpacho Chopped Salad with Grilled Chicken and Sourdough Croutons 

• 16 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 2 slices (114g) sourdough bread
• 2 large (248g) roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 large (400g) cucumber, chopped
• 1 medium (100g) red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium (100g) orange bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 small (50g) yellow onion,
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup (130g) petite diced tomatoes, tomatoes and juice
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic

Preheat your grill to medium heat. Grill the chicken breasts about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until cooked thoroughly. When the chicken is almost done, lay the bread slices over the grate and toast on both sides until golden and the slices have grill marks. Remove the bread and chicken from the heat and set aside.

Chop the veggies and cilantro and add to a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the diced tomatoes and juice, vinegar, olive oil, and garlic. Chop the chicken breast into bite sized pieces and add to bowl. Toss ingredients well to combine. Slice the grilled bread into croutons with a sharp knife. Divide the salad evenly into bowls and top with the croutons.

Makes 4 servings at approximately 276 calories each – 27g protein, 24g carbs, and 7g fat.

Like the other salad, this one can be made in several versions using the veggies and meat that you like and have in your fridge. No reason to run to the store to get the ones I used unless you’re already making a trip. I save the rest of the can of tomatoes and added some minced garlic and mushrooms to make a quite pasta sauce for The Kid. No fuss, no muss, and no wasted food.

Do you ever grill bread on your grill?