Spinach Salad with Grilled Veggies & Chicken Recipe
This spinach salad is a twist on the classic with deeply flavored grilled mushrooms, red onions, sweet peppers, and optional herby grilled chicken. Topped with a flavorful take on a healthy French-style dressing. A hearty and complete dinner for warm days.
How to Make the Best Spinach Salad with Grilled Veggies & Chicken
This grilled spinach salad is the perfect summer dinner that’s both hearty and refreshing. The combination of smoky grilled vegetables, tender chicken, and fresh baby spinach creates a satisfying meal that doesn’t leave you feeling weighed down. The secret is in the char from the grill—it adds a depth of flavor that transforms simple vegetables into something truly special.
What sets this salad apart is the homemade French-style dressing with a smoky twist. The combination of dijon mustard, smoked paprika, and a touch of tomato paste creates a tangy, slightly sweet dressing that perfectly complements the grilled components. It’s lighter than a creamy dressing but still packs plenty of flavor to stand up to the bold taste of the grilled vegetables and chicken.
Feel free to customize this salad with your favorite toppings. The optional coconut bacon adds a delicious crunch and smoky flavor for those who want to keep things plant-forward, while hard-boiled eggs and feta cheese make it even more substantial. This is one of those versatile recipes that works just as well for a weeknight dinner as it does for summer entertaining.
Spinach Salad with Grilled Veggies & Chicken
This spinach salad is a twist on the classic with deeply flavored grilled mushrooms, red onions, sweet peppers, and optional herby grilled chicken. Topped with a flavorful take on a healthy French-style dressing. A hearty and complete dinner for warm days.
Ingredients
Grilled Chicken & Vegetables
French-Style Dressing
Coconut Bacon (Optional)
Instructions
Make the Dressing
- Whisk together red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup, sea salt, pepper, minced garlic, smoked paprika, and tomato paste.
- Drizzle in olive oil while whisking continuously until combined and emulsified. Set aside.
Grill the Chicken & Vegetables
- Preheat your grill with the lid closed on high heat.
- Brush mushrooms, onion slices, and peppers with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.
- Lower heat to medium-high. Place the marinated chicken and veggies on the hot grill. Close the lid for about 4 minutes.
- Flip veggies over with metal tongs. Check the chicken, turning only after good grill marks appear. Close the lid for another 4-8 minutes.
- Remove veggies from the grill when they are cooked to your liking. Continue cooking chicken until it reaches 165°F at the thickest part.
Assemble the Salad
- Toss the spinach with some of the dressing (you will have some dressing left over).
- Cut chicken, peppers, and mushrooms into bite-sized slices.
- Arrange the grilled chicken and vegetables over the dressed spinach.
- Top with optional sliced hard-boiled eggs, feta cheese, and coconut bacon.
Notes
- The veggies will continue to cook a bit after removing from the heat, so take them off slightly before your desired doneness.
- You can prepare the dressing ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- For the coconut bacon, toss coconut flakes with smoked soy sauce and maple syrup, then bake at 325°F until crispy.
