This Paleo and Whole30 Mediterranean Chicken Salad is a great 30 minute recipe you can throw together with chicken and a few pantry items. Cubes of chicken are tossed with chopped canned artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers and olives and coated in a deliciously creamy roasted garlic and balsamic vinegar dressing. Make a big batch of this chicken salad and enjoy it for lunch or a quick meal over 3-4 days.
Separate each clove of garlic from the bulb (leaving the skins on) and place them on a baking tray. If making homemade roasted bell peppers, deseed the pepper, cut it into quarters and place on the baking tray. Drizzle the garlic and pepper slices with olive oil and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the peppers are charred and the garlic cloves have softened
While the garlic and peppers are cooking, chop the rest of the ingredients (sun dried tomatoes, red onion, artichokes & olives) and add them to a bowl along with the chopped chicken.
Once the garlic is soft and caramelized, squeeze the garlic out of each clove and into a blender. Add in the mayonnaise, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and blend until completely smooth.
Leave the roasted bell peppers to rest for a few minutes before peeling off the outer skins and chopping the peppers into small pieces. Add them to the bowl with the other ingredients
Pour the dressing over the mixture and toss to ensure everything is well coated. Spoon the chicken salad into lettuce cups and garnish with pine nuts and chopped basil before serving.