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A bowl of pasta with green pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil. Surrounding items include lemons, basil leaves, pine nuts, olive oil, pesto sauce, and a wooden board with sun-dried tomatoes in a jar.

Pesto Chicken Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This is the chicken salad my friends like to scoop straight onto a bagel. Basil pesto brings incredible flavor (no mayo needed), while sun-dried tomatoes add little bursts of savory sweetness and toasted pine nuts bring the crunch.
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
 

For the basil pesto (makes ~1½ cups)

  • 3 cups basil leaves, stems removed
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese
  • 1 cup toasted pine nuts, walnuts, or almonds*
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, or more to taste
  • ¼ cup water
  • 6 to 8 tablespoons extra vigin olive oil, depending on preferred consistency

For the chicken salad

  • 3 cups shredded skinless rotisserie chicken, white and/or dark meat**
  • ½ cup basil pesto, homemade (above) or jarred
  • ⅓ cup chopped jarred sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
  • 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, plus extra for garnish
  • Fresh basil, torn, for garnish
  • Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, optional
  • Squeeze of fresh lemon juice, optional
Ingredient Details to Know
* To toast your nuts, use the oven or a dry skillet. Oven: bake at 350°F — pine nuts take about 4 minutes (stir once, then bake until golden); walnuts take about 6 to 9 minutes; almonds take about 5 to 10 minutes, shaking the pan a few times. Skillet: toast in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking or stirring often, until fragrant and golden — about 2 to 3 minutes for pine nuts, 4 to 5 minutes for walnuts or almonds. Keep a close eye on them, as nuts go from toasted to burnt fast. If using walnuts or almonds, roughly chop them after toasting — it helps them blend more easily into the pesto and gives you better bite-sized pieces if you're using them to garnish the chicken salad.
 
** Use whichever kind of skinless rotisserie chicken you like — white meat, dark meat, or a mix. I typically use white meat only, which gets me about 3 cups of shredded chicken from the breast meat of an average store-bought rotisserie chicken. This is also a great way to use up leftover cooked chicken from last night's dinner — just swap in an equal amount.

Instructions
 

Make the pesto:

  • Combine the basil, Parmesan, nuts, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender and pulse until finely chopped. Add the ¼ cup water and scrape down the sides as needed to ensure everything is well combined.
  • Drizzle in the oil while you continue to pulse until everything is evenly blended — start with 6 tablespoons and check the consistency, adding an additional tablespoon at a time until it's the texture you prefer. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Make the chicken salad:

  • In a large bowl, toss the shredded chicken with the pesto until every piece is evenly coated — add an extra tablespoon or two if you want it saucier. Fold in the sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld and the salad chill through (or serve right away if you're short on time — it'll still taste great, just won't be as cold).
  • Just before serving, garnish with torn basil, extra pine nuts, and the optional red pepper flakes and squeeze of lemon juice.

Notes

• Serving suggestions:
  • Piled onto a bed of greens
  • Stuffed into a sandwich or wrap
  • Scooped into lettuce cups
  • Spread onto crostini or crackers
  • Stuffed into a halved tomato or avocado
  • Served alongside crusty bread
• Sun-dried tomatoes: No sun-dried tomatoes on hand? Halved cherry tomatoes work well too!
• Rotisserie chicken: Use whichever kind of skinless rotisserie chicken you like... white meat, dark meat, or a mix. I typically use white meat only, which gets me about 3 cups of shredded chicken from the breast meat of an average store-bought rotisserie chicken. This is also a great way to use up leftover cooked chicken from last night's dinner —just swap in an equal amount. Also, if you have more than three cups of shredded chicken, you'll have plenty of extra pesto to mix it with!
• Basil pesto: I recommend making the pesto right before serving so it maintains its green color (it develops a browner appearance when it sits, but don't be thrown by the change — it's still just as delicious). To slow browning if you're making it ahead, place leftover pesto in an airtight container, pour a thin layer of olive oil on top, and cover with a lid.
• Nut swap: Not a fan of pine nuts, or don't have any on hand? Chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds all work well in their place, or skip the nuts altogether if you prefer.
• Storage: Keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The pesto will continue to darken slightly, but the flavor stays just as good.
Author: Joy Bauer, MS, RDN, CDN

Nutrition Information per serving

Serving Size: 1 serving (~1 cup)Calories: 320Carbohydrates: 5gProtein: 27gTotal Fat: 22g— Unsaturated Fat: 19g— Saturated Fat: 3gSodium: 430mgPotassium: 450mgFiber: 1gTotal Sugar: 1g— Natural Sugar: 1g— Added Sugar: 0g
Nutrition information is calculated using a leading industry software. That being said, brands can vary, and there may be slight fluctuations in the numbers.