Chicken Salad with Sweet and Sour Vegetables: freshness, color, and flavor in every bite. Pan-fried or air-fried.
Light yet full of character, this chicken salad with sweet and sour vegetables strikes the perfect balance between contrasting flavors and surprising textures. The chicken, tender and grilled to perfection, pairs with a vibrant mix of crunchy vegetables — bell peppers, carrots, and red onion — sautéed in a delicate sweet and sour sauce that adds an exotic and irresistible note.
Every bite is a journey: sweet intertwines with tangy, the warmth of the chicken meets the freshness of the vegetables, all completed by a fragrant touch of basil or mint leaves for an aromatic finish.

Ideal as a main dish for a summer lunch, or as a gourmet proposal for a light yet sophisticated dinner, or even for your work lunchbox.

Thought for you:

Chicken Salad with Sweet and Sour Vegetables

Difficulty: Very easy
Cost: Very economical
Rest time: 30 Minutes
Preparation time: 30 Minutes
Portions: 4
Cooking methods: Stovetop, Air frying
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: All seasons

Ingredients

Let’s go shopping

21 oz chicken breast
10.5 oz salad tomatoes
7 oz bell peppers
7 oz zucchini
3.5 oz red Tropea onion
to taste basil (or mint)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
to taste apple cider vinegar
to taste salt
to taste sugar (or sweetener of choice)
3.5 oz carrots (julienned)
to taste roast seasoning (I make them at home, click here)

Chicken Salad with Sweet and Sour Vegetables

Tools

What we need to prepare the

1 Cutting board
1 Grill electric or cast iron
1 Pan
1 Serving plate serving

Steps

For the preparation of the

We will start with the vegetables; some will be cooked and others raw.
The bell peppers, for instance, should be washed, with the stem removed, seeds and white parts eliminated, then sliced into thin strips.
You can simply slice the zucchini thinly or cut them into sticks as we will use them barely sautéed, almost raw
The carrots should be peeled and cut into sticks, and while you continue with the preparations, you can immerse them in apple cider vinegar to prevent browning along with the thinly sliced red onion. The latter will be immersed in vinegar to reduce its strong odor.
Lastly, the tomatoes which will remain raw, so you can slice them as you prefer, either thin or thick.
Place them in a bowl and season with salt, pepper, and oil, so they release their vegetable water before being added to the rest of the salad.
Arrange the chicken slices on a plate,
And sprinkle them with extra virgin olive oil and roast seasoningsI make them at home, click here:
In the pan: Combine extra virgin olive oil, half of the onion drained from the vinegar, and the bell peppers, a pinch of salt, and cook for about 10 minutes.
After the time has elapsed, add the carrot sticks and zucchini. Cook by tossing, preferably without adding water.
Almost at the end of cooking, add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and 2 teaspoons of sugar or sweetener and let it evaporate.
For air fryer cooking: Place the onion and bell peppers in the fryer basket, with a bit of salt and spray oil, and cook after preheating for 10 minutes at 375°F (190°C), then add the zucchini and carrots with 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 2 teaspoons of sugar or apple cider vinegar, and cook for just 5 minutes at 356°F (180°C)
Meanwhile, as the vegetables cool down, we’ll cook the chicken on the cast iron or electric grill as you like, for the cast iron grill we need to heat it well and then cook the slices on both sides and then cut the chicken into strips.
Combine the cooled vegetables and the chicken, also cooled, in a salad bowl and add:
The tomatoes, the rest of the onion, basil or mint, salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil. Mix and serve at room temperature.
Here’s the chicken and sweet and sour vegetable salad ready