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–+ servings
pesto chicken salad served in a pita with potato chips

Arugula Pesto Chicken Salad

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Easy homemade arugula pesto adds big flavor to this family favorite pesto chicken salad! Layer Arugula Pesto Chicken Salad on sandwich rolls or stuff it in a pita with greens and sliced tomatoes for a delicious lunch.
Course Lunch, Main Course, Salad
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 6 1/2 cup servings
Calories 364
Author Kim

Ingredients

For Arugula Pesto:

  • 2 cups packed fresh arugula leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled & halved
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Chicken Salad w/ Arugula Pesto:

  • 3 cups cooked chicken diced or shredded**
  • Full recipe Arugula Pesto (above)
  • For serving: cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced, halved or quartered, fresh arugula leaves, wraps, pitas, or bread

Instructions

  • Use a food processor to blend arugula and garlic until finely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add the oil until well blended. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in Parmesan, salt and pepper.
    using a food processor to mix arugula pesto
  • Add mayo and lemon zest to the Arugula Pesto and stir to combine. Stir in diced chicken.
    stirring chicken into pesto
  • To serve evenly spoon over wrap or bread or stuff in a pita and add halved tomatoes and arugula leaves of desired amount. Enjoy!
    pesto chicken salad pita

Notes

*One large rotisserie chicken works well.
**Nutritional info only includes the Arugula Pesto Chicken Salad.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 364kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 16.6g | Fat: 32.4g | Saturated Fat: 6.2g | Cholesterol: 62.7mg | Sodium: 333.3mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.2g