Baby Reds & Greens Salad with Roasted Garlic Basil Dressing

by Rachel Conners on Jul 17, 2014 (updated Mar 15, 2021) 15 comments »

This Baby Reds & Baby Greens Salad with Roasted Garlic Basil Dressing is fresh, flavorful, and filling – it makes the perfect lunch or dinner. You’ll want to put the roasted garlic basil dressing on everything!

This Baby Reds & Baby Greens Salad with Roasted Garlic Basil Dressing is fresh, flavorful, and filling - it makes the perfect lunch or dinner. You'll want to put the roasted garlic basil dressing on everything! #salad #healthymeal #mealprep #healthyeating

Well this is a day I didn’t think would ever come. I’m sharing a salad recipe. On my baking blog.

I wasn’t sure where you guys would want to see something like this, but I took the vote to Instagram and everyone said they wanted to see it! And because I’ve probably eaten this salad about 3 nights a week for dinner for the past month, I thought it was definitely worthy of a share.

This salad is a total copy cat of a salad called the Baby Reds & Baby Greens Salad from Naked Cafe in Solana Beach, CA. I changed a few things up from the original, but this salad was definitely inspired by that one. It’s literally always one of the first things I want to eat when I come home from school for a break. I went to go get it the first day I was home from being abroad! In N Out Burger was my first meal out when I was home, and going to get this salad was the second. If that doesn’t say how much I love it – I don’t know what does.

Anyways, obviously I can’t get my beloved salad when I’m not home in San Diego, so I decided to recreate it as best I could, and even make a few improvements (if possible).

The base of the salad is where the name come from. It uses baby red and baby green salad leaves. Artichoke hearts add a ton of tanginess and flavor. Candied pecans add a little bit of crunch and sweetness. Sun dried tomatoes add some richness of flavor. Dried cranberries add sweetness, tartness, and texture.

Fresh baby heirloom tomatoes add a lovely burst of flavor. Marinated, sautéed chicken breast adds a super flavorful protein element. And the awesome basil dressing (that doubled as the chicken marinade) ties it all together in the most delicious manner!

I switch this salad up a lot as well. Sometimes I throw in some shaved parmesan cheese, I don’t always add the fresh tomatoes, and I don’t always have chicken. I also don’t always use this dressing. Sometimes, I just do olive oil, vinegar, and a little bit of garlic salt. If I’m having chicken that night on it, I’ll just do a little bit of seasoning before sautéing it. I have my easier methods of making it too, but I really do love the roasted garlic basil dressing here!

This really is such a yummy and perfect summer salad for me, and I can really eat it pretty much every day (and I sorta do…). Tell me if you guys are into me posting stuff like this ^.^ Hope your summer is fantastic so far! :D

Baby Reds & Baby Greens Salad

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Author: Bakerita | Rachel Conners
Yield: 2 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Scale

For the salad

6 oz. spring greens mix
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup toasted pecans (chopped roughly)
¼ cup dry sun-dried tomatoes (not the kind packed in oil)
5–10 baby heirloom tomatoes (cut in half)
4–6 marinated artichoke hearts (chopped roughly)
2–4 raw chicken breast tenders

For the dressing

½ cup fresh basil leaves
¼ cup olive oil
8 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt & pepper (to taste)

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Instructions

Begin by preparing the dressing.
Rub about 1 tablespoon of dressing onto each of the chicken breast tenders. Allow to marinate for 10 minutes in the refrigerator.
Combine all other salad ingredients in a large salad bowl. Toss with dressing.
Saute the chicken breast tenders on medium heat for 2-4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Slice and place on top of salad. Serve immediately.

For the dressing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place garlic cloves on aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, and place in an oven-safe dish. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until garlic is tender and brown. Let cool while assembling other dressing ingredients.
In a small food processor or blender, combine all of the ingredients for the dressing and blend until smooth.
Store leftovers in a small airtight container in the refrigerator.

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