A few months back, I posted up my famous Korean burger. I noted that I had gotten my inspiration for it from a burger restaurant near where I used to work in NYC. The restaurant, 5 Napkins Burgers, has a plethora of burger options with a burger of the month feature also.
They also had these huge salads filled with all sorts of different veggies. It was probably one of the best salads I’ve had. Well, one of their options was to top it off with a burger. They had beef, turkey, or veggie… although they now offer the impossible burger. I don’t recall if I had the beef or turkey burger; I just recall that it was super healthful with a light, but flavorful vinaigrette.
So, New Year, new me, blah, blah, blah. Honestly, this is probably the FIRST year I’ve made something resembling a New Year’s resolution in, well, ever! When my BFF were in 7th or 8th grade, we vowed to NEVER make a New Year’s resolution because… they were stupid, they never happened, they were stupid. You know, the things tweens/young teenager girls say! I can remember it vividly as we sat in her grandparent’s living room watching the New Year’s festivities on TV. And, frankly, I used that as an excuse all of these years as my reason to not make a resolution: “I made a resolution with my best friend when I was in seventh grade to never make another resolution again, and I’ve stuck to that!” 🙄😂
Well, I pseudo broke that resolution. I didn’t make an actual resolution for this New Year. More, I recognized that I greatly need to change some bad habits because I’m going down a road that isn’t good. So, I’ve started with dry January… well, I got through the weekend after New Year’s Day and then started dry January (who starts dry January as the weekend approaches???). I’m 12 days in and feeling great! I actually shed almost ten pounds just my first week 🤫. I’ve just cut out alcohol and am trying to be more conscious with what I eat. I haven’t gone keto or taken on some extreme diet because it’s just not sustainable for me, personally.
Anywho, if you’ve been following me, you know how burger night is a sanctimonious dinner for us 😉. But, man do I have to ignore the amount of calories in some of my burger recipes. They are worth every calorie but are not sustainable! But, I really don’t want to completely give up burgers! Then, I remembered 5 Napkins salad bowl and was like, perfect!
This salad is loaded with romaine, endives, green onions, red onions, pickled red onions (!), tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, green beans (yes! uncooked green beans are awesome!), blue cheese, cilantro, and dill. It is amazing how much added flavor fresh herbs give a salad! If you’ve never thrown fresh herbs into your salad, do it, immediately. It is a life changer. And seriously, almost any herb adds a ton of flavor. Just choose based off of the type of salad and protein you’re having. Some salads are great with a handful of basil. Others, like this salad, are amazing with cilantro and dill!
To top off the salad, I made a Dijon vinaigrette with sherry vinegar. I loved it. So many less calories than ranch, blue cheese, or Caesar dressing. But still packed with flavor! But, if you prefer a different vinaigrette like balsamic vinaigrette, do you!
So, burger. As I said, I wanted to cut calories while maintaining flavor. I was tempted to do a beef burger, but first, I didn’t want the burger juice to ruin the flavors of the salad and get the salad all soppy. Second, beef has so many more calories in it than other meats. So, I opted for chicken burgers. I’m sure most of you have tried a turkey burger, but if you haven’t tried a chicken burger, you should! They’re awesome 😎.
Now, working with ground poultry is very wet, so I help hold it together with panko and breadcrumbs. I know that is adding more calories, but it’s really essential in getting the burger to hold. I also added Tabasco, Cajun seasoning, and stone ground Dijon mustard. This burger was so flavorful! Topped with melted cheddar cheese, and ran each bite around the bowl to sop up some dressing, and it was divine 🤤.
The bulk of the work with this recipe is prepping the salad. But it is SO worth it! So much flavor, so much nutrition, and a reasonable amount of calories for dinner! Oh, and super filling! What could be better?
Enjoy!
Loaded Salad Bowl with a Cheddar Chicken Burger
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: American, Burger, Salads
- Cuisine: Dinner
Ingredients
Chicken Burgers
1¼ lb ground chicken
⅓ cup panko
¼ cup breadcrumbs
1 TB Cajun seasoning
1 – 2 tsps Tabasco
1 TB ground stone Dijon mustard
4 thick slices of cheddar
Salad
1 head of romaine, chopped
1 cup green beans, cut into bite size pieces
2 – 3 endives, chopped
5 – 6 green onions, chopped about midway up the dark part
10 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cucumber, peeled, if desired, and cut into half circles
3 – 4 radishes, thinly sliced and cut into half circles
½ red onion, thinly sliced and cut into bite sized pieces
pickled red onions, recipe listed below
1 handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
3 TBs fresh dill, roughly chopped
4.5 oz crumbled blue cheese
Pickled Red Onions
½ red onion, sliced then halved
½ cup water
½ cup white vinegar
1 TB sugar
½ TB sea salt
Dijon Vinaigrette
⅓ cup sherry vinegar
½ cup olive oil
1 – 2 TBs Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves
salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Make the Pickled Red Onions
Add the water, white vinegar, salt, and sugar to a small sauce pot. Heat over medium heat on the stove. Place the red onions in a mason jar or sealable container. When the liquid comes to a boil, stir to dissolve the salt and sugar. Pour over the onions and seal. Place in the refrigerator for at minimum an hour ~ you can make this several days in advance.
Make the Salad & Dressing
In a large bowl, toss together all of the salad fixings. Set aside.
In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the sherry vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, and garlic cloves. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Wait to dress the salad until the burgers are done cooking (I recommend only dressing the salad you will use as dressed salad does not keep well in the refrigerator).
Make the Burgers
In a medium bowl, mix together the ground chicken with the panko, flour, Cajun seasonings, tabasco, and Dijon mustard. Form into four equal patties.
Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Lightly spray with cooking spray. When hot, add the patties and cook 5 minutes. Flip and cook 2 minutes. Add the cheddar cheese, cover the pan, and cook an additional 3 minutes.
Plate
Dish the salad into bowls or onto plates and toss with the salad dressing. Top with a burger patty and the pickled red onions.
Eat immediately! Enjoy!
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