Chicken Panzanella Salad

Here, as promised, is the second salad I served on “Dinner and Cards” night this past Friday.

Another super quick and easy main course salad that is perfect for summer. It is especially easy and summer-friendly if you start with a purchased rotisserie chicken.

I was too lazy (or maybe it was just too hot to make another stop while shopping) to get a rotisserie chicken – since they don’t sell them at Trader Joe’s, which was the only stop I made.

So, I started from scratch and roasted a little organic free-range hen instead.

Chicken Panzanella Salad

Vinaigrette
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 loaf olive bread, cut into bite-size cubes
6 cups baby arugula
Sliced rotisserie chicken breast, with skin
8-ounces torn fresh mozzarella
1 cup diced roasted bell peppers

Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the 1/3 cup olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, set aside.

Salad: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet, add the bread cubes and toss to coat. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Place the bread cubes, arugula, chicken mozzarella, and roasted bell peppers together in a serving bowl with the vinaigrette. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Serves 4