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30 Minutes or Less

Buffalo Chicken Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing

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Close-up overhead image of buffalo chicken salad in a bowl.

Surprisingly simple, but totally delicious buffalo chicken salad! Complete with a homemade ranch dressing, this healthy recipe is FULL of delicious flavor. Quick and easy to make, it’s perfect for meal prep!

overhead image of buffalo chicken salad in a bowl with homemade ranch dressing and buffalo sauce on the side.

What You’ll Need to Make Buffalo Chicken Salad

Chicken – Start by either slicing and pounding chicken breasts until thin, or make your life super easy and buy pre-cut chicken cutlets! Or, if you’re not up for the extra step and can’t find chicken cutlets, then simply cook whole chicken breasts for your salad. If taking this option, you’ll likely need to cook the chicken for 4-5 additional minutes each side. To check if your chicken is fully cooked, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of a breast. Once the thermometer reads 165° Fahrenheit, then you’re chicken is cooked through and ready for this salad recipe!

Buffalo Sauce – I make my own buffalo sauce for this buffalo chicken salad because it’s truly so easy. However, you can totally buy pre-made buffalo sauce instead, if you’d like. For the homemade buffalo sauce, all you’ll need is hot sauce, melted butter, and honey – that’s it!

Ranch Dressing – Again, I made my own ranch dressing for this salad. But you can buy bottled ranch instead, if that’s more your thing. If I’m short on time or looking for a short cut, I use this Primal Kitchen Vegan Ranch Dressing – it’s lighter and healthier than most other ranch dressings on the market!

Blue Cheese – Salty, tangy blue cheese crumbles are the cherry-on-top of this buffalo chicken salad! Though you can totally add any kind of cheese you’d like to this meal. Or, for a non-dairy salad, leave the blue cheese out altogether.

homemade ranch dressing being poured over a buffalo chicken salad.

Tips and Tricks

  • Meal prep this buffalo chicken salad ahead of a busy week! It’s the perfect grab-and-go lunch recipe. To do this, prepare the salads, then store the buffalo sauce and ranch dressing separately. When ready to eat, dress the salads and enjoy!
  • Feel free to switch out/swap in any ingredients you’d like! This salad is super simple, and easy to customize – so have fun with it and don’t be afraid to make it your own.
  • I always recommend dressing this salad right before serving! Leftover salad (without dressing) will stay fresh in the fridge for up to four days.
buffalo chicken salad in a bowl with a fork.

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Dairy-Free: For a dairy-free salad, leave out the blue cheese and make the homemade ranch dressing with mayonnaise, instead of Greek yogurt.

Make it Vegan/Vegetarian: Make some simple plant-based swaps to turn this into a vegan buffalo salad recipe! Replace the chicken with chickpeas – toss them in the chicken seasoning, then roast them in the oven at 350° Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes, or until crispy. Also, leave out the blue cheese and use a vegan mayo or plain vegan Greek yogurt to make the ranch dressing.

Buffalo Chicken Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing
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Buffalo Chicken Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Course: MainDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Total time

15

minutes

Surprisingly simple, but totally delicious buffalo chicken salad! Complete with a homemade ranch dressing, this healthy recipe is FULL of delicious flavor. Quick and easy to make, it’s perfect for meal prep!

Ingredients

  • For the chicken:

  • 1-2 pounds chicken breasts, cut or pounded thin (or chicken cutlets)

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

  • salt and black pepper, to taste

  • 1 tablespoon oil

  • For the buffalo sauce:

  • 1/2 cup Frank’s hot sauce

  • 1/4 cup melted butter

  • 3 tablespoons honey

  • For the ranch dressing:

  • 1 cup mayo or plain Greek yogurt

  • 2-3 tablespoons milk

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

  • 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped

  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

  • For the salad:

  • 1 bunch romaine, chopped

  • 2 celery stalks, chopped

  • 1 avocado, sliced

  • 1/2 English cucumber, chopped

  • 1/2 cup shredded carrots

  • 1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped

  • 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Directions

  • Pat chicken breasts dry with a paper towel, then season on both sides with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then sear chicken breasts 4-5 minutes per side or until cooked through.
  • Make the buffalo sauce by whisking together the hot sauce, melted butter, and honey in a small bowl.
  • Make the ranch dressing my whisking together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
  • Assemble the salad with romaine, celery, avocado, cucumber, carrots, blue cheese, and the cooked chicken, then top with a drizzle of buffalo sauce and ranch dressing.

Recipe Video

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30 Minutes or Less

Jennifer Aniston Salad

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close-up image of jennifer aniston salad in a serving bowl

The viral Jennifer Aniston salad is super easy to make! Loaded with fresh ingredients – cucumber, red onion, parsley, mint, and feta – all tossed in simple lemon dressing. It’s not just healthy, but totally delicious too!

overhead image of Jennifer Aniston salad with pistachios and dressing on the side.

Jennifer Aniston recently described her perfect salad as, “bulgur wheat, cucumbers, parsley, mint, red onion, garbanzo beans, feta cheese, and pistachios.” And OMG the internet went CRAZY for it! Recipes similar to the salad the Friends actress described quickly popped up all over TikTok. The Jennifer Aniston salad went viral. So, as a foodie and fellow salad-lover, I had to give it a try for myself.

My version of the salad contains everything Jennifer described – bulgur wheat, cucumbers, parsley, mint, red onion, garbanzo beans, feta cheese, and pistachios – my only addition is a simple lemon, olive oil, salt, and black pepper dressing. Since Jen didn’t offer up a dressing herself, this is what I envisioned a salad like this being tossed in. And let me tell you, it TOTALLY lived up to the hype!

Dressing being poured over the Jennifer Aniston salad.

What You’ll Need to Make the Jennifer Aniston Salad

Bulgur Wheat or Quinoa – In keeping this super authentic to Jen’s recipe, I used bulgur wheat in my salad. However, bulgur wheat can be hard to come by, so I also offer up the option to use quinoa instead. Both are hearty, protein-rich, super nutritious grains. Never had bulgur wheat? It’s most similar to farro or barley, but smaller grain. Bulgur wheat has a nice nutty flavor, and will keep you full without feeling weighed down.

Garbanzo Beans/Chickpeas – What’s the difference between garbanzo beans and chickpeas? Literally nothing! They’re two names for the exact same thing. Jennifer Aniston called them “garbanzo beans,” but I call them “chickpeas,” so that’s what we’re sticking with. Chickpeas are an excellent source of protein, especially in this salad recipe!

Feta Cheese – Greek brined white cheese, made from sheep’s milk. Feta adds the perfect salty bite to this salad! And because it’s made with sheep’s milk, it has a lower lactose content. Meaning, those whoe are lactose intolerant (aka ME!), may have an easier time tolerating feta cheese. I, personally, can enjoy it in small amounts without any issue. However, if you can’t tolerate feta, or simply need a dairy-free option, check out my “make it vegan” section below!

Parsley and Mint – Don’t skimp on the fresh herbs! Fresh parsley and mint are my favorite parts of this salad. They add a super fresh and vibrant component to this recipe. Therefore, don’t leave ’em out!

close-up overhead image of Jennifer Aniston salad.

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Gluten-Free: Yes, bulgur wheat contains gluten. Therefore, opt for quinoa instead of bulgur wheat to make this Jennifer Aniston salad entirely gluten-free.

Make it Vegan/Dairy-Free: For a vegan/dairy-free salad, either leave out the feta cheese, or replace it with your favorite vegan feta. I love the Violife Vegan Feta, it tastes and crumbles just like the real thing!

Jennifer Aniston Salad
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Jennifer Aniston Salad

4 from 21 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: MainDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Total time

25

minutes

    The viral Jennifer Aniston salad is super easy to make! Loaded with fresh ingredients – cucumber, red onion, parsley, mint, and feta – all tossed in simple lemon dressing. It’s not just healthy, but totally delicious too!

    Ingredients

    • For the bulgur wheat/quinoa:

    • 1 cup bulgur wheat or quinoa, dry

    • 2 cups water or vegetable broth

    • For the salad dressing:

    • 1/2 cup olive oil

    • 1/2 cup lemon juice

    • 1/2 teaspoon salt

    • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

    • For the salad:

    • 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

    • 1 cup English cucumber, chopped

    • 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

    • 1/2 red onion, diced

    • 1/2 cup roasted salted pistachios, roughly chopped

    • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

    • 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

    Directions

    • Add either bulgur wheat or quinoa to a small saucepan, along with water or vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook over low heat for 12-15 minutes. Once bulgur wheat or quinoa has absorbed all liquid, remove from heat and let stand covered for an additional 5 minutes. Then, remove lid and fluff with a fork.
    • While the bulgur wheat or quinoa cooks, make the salad dressing by adding all ingredients to a bowl and whisking to combine.
    • Add cooked bulgur wheat or quinoa to a large bowl, along with the remaining salad ingredients. Pour dressing over salad and toss, then either serve immediately or let chill in the fridge for a few hours before serving.

    Recipe Video

    Notes

    • Leaving the salad to chill for a few hours before eating will increase the flavor!
    • Leftover salad will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. No need to store the dressing separately.

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    30 Minutes or Less

    One-Pot Mexican Soup

    By
    overhead image of Mexican soup with avocado, cilantro, sour cream, and tortillas on top.

    This hearty Mexican soup is full of fresh, delicious flavor! The perfect quick and easy dinner recipe to throw together on a busy weeknight. Requires only a handful of simple ingredients, cooked in one pot, in just 30 minutes!

    overhead image of Mexican soup with avocado, cilantro, sour cream, and tortillas on top.

    What You’ll Need to Make Mexican Soup

    Chicken – This recipe calls for chicken breasts, but really any cut of chicken will work. My one recommendation when it comes to buying your chicken, is to make sure it’s boneless and skinless. This’ll make the cooking and dicing process much easier! Also, for a vegan/vegetarian Mexican soup, check out the “Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs” section below.

    Chicken Broth – I used chicken bone broth in my Mexican soup for an extra boost of nutrients. However, any chicken broth, or even chicken bouillon dissolved in water will do the trick. And if you don’t have chicken broth, feel free to use vegetable broth instead.

    Taco Seasoning – Two tablespoons of taco seasoning load this soup up with TONS of delicious flavor! This addition makes this recipe even easier to throw together. Though if you don’t have taco seasoning, feel free to use a combo of your favorite Mexican spices. I love smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried oregano.

    Jalapeño – While optional, I love throwing in a diced jalapeño for extra flavor and spice! However, for a mild soup, try just half a jalapeño. Or, feel free to leave it out altogether.

    mexican chicken soup in a bowl with a spoon.

    Tips and Tricks

    • I highly recommend doubling this recipe! Leftover Mexican soup tastes just as good, and is easy to reheat and enjoy all week long. Heck, you can even freeze it for up to three months!
    • For a heartier meal, add rice! I love adding in a cup or two of cooked rice to my soup. And to keep things super easy, I typically opt for a pre-cooked microwaveable rice.
    • You can also make this Mexican soup in the Instant Pot! To do that, use the sauté function to cook up with veggies. Then, add the remaining ingredients, seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the chicken, dice it up, then add it back into your soup – that’s it!
    close-up overhead image of Mexican soup with avocado, cilantro, sour cream, and tortillas on top.

    Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Vegan/Vegetarian: For a vegan or vegetarian Mexican soup, replace the chicken with two cans of your favorite beans – I love either black beans or navy beans! Also, replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth.

    Make it Gluten-Free: While mostly gluten-free, make sure the taco seasoning you use is 100% gluten-free as well!

    One-Pot Mexican Soup
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    One-Pot Mexican Soup

    0 from 0 votes
    Recipe by Samantha Course: MainCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy
    Servings

    5

    servings
    Prep time

    5

    minutes
    Cooking time

    20

    minutes
    Total time

    25

    minutes

    This hearty Mexican soup is full of fresh, delicious flavor! The perfect quick and easy dinner recipe to throw together on a busy weeknight. Requires only a handful of simple ingredients, cooked in one pot, in just 30 minutes!

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil

    • 1/2 yellow onion, chopped

    • 1 celery stalk, chopped

    • 1 carrot, chopped

    • 3 garlic cloves, minced

    • 1 quart chicken broth

    • 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

    • 1-2 pounds chicken breast

    • 2 tablespoons taco seasoning

    • salt, to taste

    Directions

    • Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, Add in the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and jalapeño. Cooked 4-5 minutes, or until veggies are tender.
    • Add in chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, chicken, taco seasoning, and salt.
    • Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer, cook uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove chicken from pot, dice into ½-inch pieces, then transfer back into pot. Stir to combine then serve warm with fresh cilantro, lime juice, avocado, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

    Recipe Video

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    30 Minutes or Less

    Harvest Bowl (easy to meal prep!)

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    overhead image of a meal prep harvest bowl with sliced almonds on the side.

    This fully loaded harvest bowl is packed with seasonal ingredients, fresh flavor, and finished off with a dreamy maple dijon vinaigrette! Perfect to meal prep ahead of a busy week, or quickly throw together as an easy meal in under 30 minutes.

    maple dijon dressing being poured over a harvest bowl

    What You’ll Need to Make a Harvest Bowl

    Sweet Potato – Peel and cube two sweet potatoes before roasting. Or, if you’d like, replace the sweet potato with your favorite squash. Peeled and cubed butternut squash, sliced acorn squash, or even sliced delicata squash would all taste great in this harvest bowl!

    Chicken – Two boneless and skinless chicken breasts are lightly seasoned, then roasted to perfection! For a vegan option, see the “make it vegan” section below.

    Quinoa – Any variety of quinoa is jam-packed with health benefits! It’s full of nutrients, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, fiber, and is a complete protein. Talk about a superfood, eh? Feel free to use whatever kind of quinoa you have handy – white, red, black, or rainbow – they all taste great. Or, if you don’t have quinoa, you can replace it with cooked brown rice, wild rice, buckwheat, farro, or barley.

    Kale – Similar to the quinoa, any variety of kale will taste delicious in your harvest bowl. So, use whatever you can get your hands on – curly kale, dino (lacinato) kale, red kale, or even baby kale. Though if using baby kale, no need to massage it, just add straight to your bowl, then toss in dressing.

    close-up image of sliced chicken over a meal prep harvest bowl.

    Tips and Tricks

    • Don’t skip massaging the kale! This step is super important to achieve nice, and tender kale. Skipping this step will result in tough, and hard-to-chew kale, just all around unappetizing!
    • I highly, HIGHLY, recommend doubling up on the maple dijon salad dressing. It’s seriously the star of this harvest bowl, and you’ll regret not making more. Also, leftovers stay fresh in a sealed container in the fridge for up to three weeks!

    Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Vegan: For a healthy, high protein vegan meal, leave out the chicken. Then, either double up on the sweet potatoes, or replace the chicken with a can of drained then rinsed chickpeas!

    Make it Paleo/Grain-Free: Simply leave off the quinoa and you’ve got yourself a totally paleo and grain-free harvest bowl.

    two meal prep containers showcasing this harvest bowl recipe.

    How to Meal Prep This Harvest Bowl

    1. Roast the sweet potatoes and chicken.
    2. Cook the quinoa.
    3. Make the maple dijon dressing.
    4. Massage the kale.
    5. Divide the massaged kale, cooked quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes and chicken, sliced apples, fried cranberries, and sliced almonds between four meal prep containers.
    6. Store remaining dressing separately.
    7. When ready to eat, remove one of your meal prep containers from the fridge and drizzle with some extra maple dijon dressing – enjoy!
    Harvest Bowl (easy to meal prep!)
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    Harvest Bowl (easy to meal prep!)

    5 from 2 votes
    Recipe by Samantha Course: Main, Lunch, DinnerDifficulty: Easy
    Servings

    4

    servings
    Prep time

    10

    minutes
    Cooking time

    20

    minutes
    Total time

    30

    minutes

    These fully loaded harvest bowls are packed with seasonal ingredients, fresh flavor, and finished off with a dreamy maple dijon vinaigrette! Perfect to meal prep ahead of a busy week, or quickly throw together as an easy meal in under 30 minutes.

    Ingredients

    • 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

    • 1-2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken breast

    • 1 tablespoon avocado oil

    • salt and black pepper, to taste

    • 2 cups kale, finely chopped

    • 1 cup cooked quinoa

    • 1 apple, sliced

    • 1/4 cup dried cranberries

    • 1/4 cup sliced almonds or pumpkin seeds

    • For the maple dijon dressing:

    • 1/2 cup olive oil

    • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

    • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

    • 1 garlic clove, minced

    • 1 teaspoon salt

    Directions

    • Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Place sweet potatoes and chicken breast on a baking sheet, then drizzle with avocado oil, and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Toss potatoes to coat, then roast for 20 minutes, tossing potatoes halfway through.
    • While chicken and potatoes roast, make the dressing by adding all dressing ingredients to a bowl and whisking to combine.
    • Place kale in a bowl with half of the dressing, then toss and massage dressing into the kale with your hands.
    • Once potatoes are tender, remove from the oven and assemble bowls with all ingredients – roasted sweet potatoes, massaged kale, chicken, quinoa, apples, dried cranberries, and sliced almonds. Store with remaining dressing on the side, then top with dressing right before eating.

    Recipe Video

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    30 Minutes or Less

    5-Minute Antipasto Salad

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    antipasto salad in a bowl with red wine on the side

    This antipasto salad comes together in just 5 minutes! Quick, easy, and exploding with flavor. Loaded with healthy ingredients, and finished off with a 3-ingredient dressing. It’s also entirely gluten-free, with a dairy-free option!

    close-up overhead image of antipasto salad on a plate with tomatoes on the side

    What You’ll Need To Make Antipasto Salad

    Romaine Lettuce – Fresh, crisp, and extra crunchy romaine is the perfect base to this Italian salad. Romaine is hearty, yet super mild, and won’t take away from all the other flavors we have going on in this dish. However, if you don’t have romaine, you can certainly use any other kind of lettuce you’d like. Some fresh arugula would also taste great!

    Olives – Feel free to use a variety of your favorite olives in this antipasto salad! I used a combo of green and black olives, which were perfectly briny and delicious. I’ve also made this salad with marinated green olives and it was nothing short of exceptional! Also, if you don’t like olives (first of all, how?!), you can definitely leave them out of this salad altogether.

    Salami – I added this Applegate Genoa Salami to my salad, but any brand/type of salami will work here. Smoked salami, spicy salami, thinly sliced salami, etc. will all taste amazing. You can even swap the salami for prosciutto, if that’s more your thing!

    Red Wine Vinegar – Either red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar will blend perfectly into our 3-ingredient dressing. The tangy, sour vinegar brings out the abundance of savory flavors in this salad recipe. However, if you don’t have any vinegar on-hand, a tablespoon of lemon juice makes for a great substitution!

    fork and spoon lifting antipasto salad out of a bowl

    Tips and Tricks

    • This antipasto salad is basically a charcuterie board, served over lettuce. It’s got all the charcuterie things from cured meats to marinated veggies. Therefore, throw any and all of your favorite charcuterie fixings into this simple salad!
    • Make this an Italian-style pasta salad by replacing the lettuce with your favorite cooked pasta! And for a gluten-free pasta salad, use your favorite gluten-free pasta instead.
    • Because this salad holds up so well in the fridge, it’d make a great addition to your weekly meal prep! Simply portion out this salad into four servings, then store the dressing on the side. When ready to eat, remove your pre-portioned salad from the fridge and then dress- that’s it!
    close-up image of antipasto salad

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Vegan: For a vegan meal, leave out the pepperoni, salami, and mini mozzarella balls. You can also replace these three ingredients with your favorite vegan protein, such as chickpeas, white beans, or even lentils.

    Make it Dairy-Free: Easily make this antipasto salad dairy-free by leaving out the mini mozzarella balls. I personally took this option and my salad was still insanely flavorful and delicious!

    5-Minute Antipasto Salad

    5 from 1 vote
    Recipe by Samantha Course: MainCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy
    Servings

    4

    servings
    Prep time

    5

    minutes
    Cooking time

    0

    minutes
    Total time

    5

    minutes

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups romaine lettuce, chopped

    • 12 ounces jarred artichoke hearts, quartered

    • 1 cup mixed olives, halved

    • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

    • 1/2 pound salami, thinly sliced

    • 1/2 cup pepperoncini, drained and sliced

    • 4 ounces sliced pepperoni

    • 1/4 cup jarred roasted red peppers, chopped

    • 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

    • 8 ounces fresh mini mozzarella balls, optional

    • For the dressing:

    • 1/4 cup olive oil

    • 1 tablespoon red wine or white wine vinegar

    • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

    Directions

    • Add all salad ingredients to a large bowl or serving platter.
    • Make the dressing by whisking together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl, then pour over salad. Serve immediately.

    Recipe Video

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