• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
  • Recipes
    • Easy Dinners
    • Dessert
    • Breakfast and Brunch
    • Thai
    • Gluten-free
    • Vegetarian

Inquiring Chef

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Easy Dinners
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home > Recipes > Salad

    Kale Salad with Chicken, Croutons and Soft Boiled Eggs

    Published: Apr 25, 2016 · Modified: Apr 4, 2022 · by Jess Smith · Jump to Recipe · 5 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links.

    kale salad with chicken

    Kale Salad in a white bowl

    Kale Salad with Chicken, Croutons and Soft Boiled Eggs is packed with protein (24 grams if anyone's counting), light enough for lunch with only 360 calories and filling enough for dinner. And full of so much flavor you'll want it for both!

    This post is part of our series Dinner Tonight where we share our favorite weeknight-friendly dinners. Just doing our part to help answer the question "what's for dinner"?

    Kale Salad with chicken in white bowls on a wooden table

    I've got a whole list of new recipes that I wanted to share with you last week, but life was completely distracting. Not the least of my challenges was that I started my week of by dropping a wok full of panang curry I'm testing for Cook Smarts on the living room floor.

    Curry on the floor = major mess

    mixing kale in a white bowl

    My brain has also been spinning with so thoughts about food photography. If you follow Frank and I on Instagram, you may have seen that I spent a few days last week in Minneapolis at a Food Photography Workshop hosted by the super talented Lindsay of Pinch of Yum.

    Not only is Lindsay a gifted food photographer (and a wonderfully kind and generous person) but she is an awesome teacher. I learned so much, and it's got my head spinning about all things food and photos. I've barely put my camera down since.

    Pinch of Yum Photography Workshop

    But while I tinker and fiddle and take 324234 shots of a wok of curry (before it hits the floor, of course), I can't keep this salad to myself for a second more.

    It's the salad I have been wanting every day for lunch.

    And still could eat again for dinner.

    And even though it looks like there is a lot going on in these fresh, filling bowls, they're actually so easy to make.

    Part of the secret to this salad's simplicity and BIG flavor is a dressing that does double duty - half as a marinade for chicken and half as a dressing for kale. Even 30 minutes in this magical marinade loads the chicken up with tons of flavor.

    Kale Salad with Chicken in a white bowl

    The bowls get crunch from baked croutons.

    croutons on a sheet pan

    And while you can totally use store-bought croutons in these salads or make them with any kind of bread....if you really want your mind blown, make them with challah.

    The eggs and tiny bit of sugar in challah make the most crazy amazing, rich, buttery croutons.

    challah bread on a wooden table

    Top those bowls with an egg. Hard or soft boiled will work. (But I've got a post on making the perfect soft-boiled egg coming soon, so stay tuned if that's your jam!)Soft Boiled Egg on a kale salad

    And dig in.

    Or come on over for lunch. I'll probably be having this again tomorrow.
    Kale Salad with Chicken and Soft Boiled Eggs in white bowls

    Just promise me you'll ignore any evidence of curry on my floor.

    More Healthy-ish Salad Recipes

    • Watermelon, Feta and Arugula Salad
    • BBQ Chicken Salad
    • Green Papaya Salad (Som Tam)
    • Sesame Ginger Kale Salad
    • Thai Chopped Chicken Salad with Peanut Vinaigrette

    Favorite Tools

    • 6-inch Global Knife 
    • Cutting Board
    • Shallow Baking Dish for marinating
    • Half Sheet Pan
    • All Clad Saucepan
    • Calphalon Nonstick Frying Pan 
    • Slotted Spoon

     

    Print Recipe
    4.67 from 3 votes

    Kale Salad with Chicken, Croutons and Soft Boiled Eggs

    Packed with protein and vitamins from kale, these salad bowls are full of flavor. Make all the components ahead and toss them together for easy lunches!
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time40 mins
    Course: Salad
    Keyword: Chicken Recipe, healthyish, kale salad
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 322kcal
    Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef
    Cost: $9.00

    Equipment

    • Knife
    • Cutting Board
    • Shallow Dish for Marinating
    • Half Sheet Pan
    • Saucepan
    • Large Skillet
    • Slotted Spoon

    Ingredients

    Marinade and Dressing:

    • 2 cloves Garlic, chopped
    • 3 tablespoon Cooking Oil
    • 2 tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
    • 1 teaspoon Honey

    Salad:

    • ¾ lb Chicken, cubed
    • 3 thick slices Challah Bread (or use any thick-sliced bread, or 1 small baguette)
    • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
    • 4 Eggs
    • 1 large bunch Curly-Leaf Kale, finely chopped
    • ¼ cup Grated Parmesan

    Instructions

    • Chop garlic cloves and combine with cooking oil, vinegar, mustard and honey. Divide in half. Cube chicken and toss with one half of dressing. Marinate chicken in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (or up to 2 days). (Reserve the other half of the dressing.)
    • Heat the oven to 350 F / 175 C degrees. Slice bread into 1-inch cubes. Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread on a large baking sheet and bake, turning with a spatula halfway through cooking, until crisp and golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
    • Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add eggs and reduce water to a low simmer. Simmer until eggs are cooked to your liking. (That is exactly 7 minutes if you like the whites set and yolks runny as in the photos, or 10 minutes if you prefer a hard-boiled egg.) When eggs are finished cooking, run them under cool tap water to stop the cooking process.
    • Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a slotted spoon to remove chicken from marinade and transfer it to the hot pan. Discard marinade. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper in the pan. Saute until chicken is cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes.
    • Finely chop kale.
    • Toss kale with reserved dressing and cheese. Slice eggs in half.
    • Assemble salads by topping kale with chicken, croutons and eggs. Season eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 200mg | Sodium: 238mg | Potassium: 232mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1777IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 2mg

     

    Molly and Clara have recently become my best little kitchen assistants lately. (If you count standing over my shot and naming all the vegetables "assistance.")

    Molly and Clara Kitchen Assistants

    *This post contains affiliate links*

    Kale Salad with Chicken, Croutons and Soft Boiled Eggs is packed with protein (24 grams if anyone’s counting), light enough for lunch with only 360 calories and filling enough for dinner. And full of so much flavor you’ll want it for both!

    Related

    « Peanut Butter Chocolate Oat Smoothie
    Funfetti Cake Batter Milkshakes »

    About Jess

    Hi! I'm Jess. I am the recipe creator and photographer behind the 900+ recipes you’ll find on Inquiring Chef. As a mom to three young kids and professional cook, my mission is to make every moment in the kitchen and around the table count. If you’re looking for easy, flavorful, family-approved recipes, you’ve come to the right place! Learn more about me here.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Norma O.Riess

      April 25, 2016 at 6:45 pm

      4 stars
      Actually challah bread is made with egg and honey, which also makes for a wonderful bread stuffing. Please check out the site "Once Upon a Chef" for the recipe. I have made it without the wild mushrooms because my daughters don't like mushrooms and it is great. Next Thanksgiving I plan to make one with mushrooms, and one without. She uses fresh oyster, shiitake, and portobello mushrooms. You'll never go back to using plain white bread for bread stuffing again, after trying this recipe with challah bread.

      Reply
      • Jess

        April 26, 2016 at 11:19 am

        Yum - that stuffing sounds amazing. Thanks for the tip, Norma!

        Reply
    2. Joy

      April 27, 2016 at 12:02 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe looks great, but I had to comment because I just love the picture of your adorable kitchen "assistants" I'd say naming the vegetables is great help!

      Reply
    3. Anchell Workshops

      October 10, 2019 at 10:44 am

      5 stars
      Yummy! Thanks for this recipe!

      Reply
    4. Lorrie Roa

      November 17, 2019 at 1:44 am

      I love egg salad (and potato salad!) and your recipe sounds great (not to mention it looks STUNNING). I’ve pinned it, and I'll be looking for an opportunity to try it out!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Welcome! We're Jess and Frank. Since 2010, we have been serving up easy, original recipes here on Inquiring Chef.

    More about us →

    Latest Recipes

    • miso vegetable soup in a grey bowl
      Miso Vegetable Soup
    • lemongrass chicken and rice on a white tray
      Lemongrass Chicken
    • cauliflower baked ziti in a white oval baking dish
      Vegetarian Baked Ziti with Cauliflower
    • a round One-Bowl Chocolate Guinness Cake on a wooden tray
      Chocolate Irish Guinness Cake

    Trending Recipes

    • hand holding a chocolate chip cookie with a bite out of it
      Crispy and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
    • stir fry over rice in a white bowl with chopsticks
      Honey Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry
    • square image overnight oats in mason jars with berries on top
      Mason Jar Overnight Oats
    • beef and broccoli stir fry on a white plate with chopsticks
      Beef and Broccoli Ramen Stir-Fry

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates
    • Follow us on Instagram and Pinterest

    Contact

    • Email Us

    Copyright © 2023 Inquiring Chef