last updated on October 29, 2026

This chicken and crispy prosciutto salad is one of my favorites of all time. I originally shared it a few years ago, but have given it a facelift and need to share it again! This salad is packed with so much good stuff: greens, quinoa, roasted carrots, tomatoes, chicken, crispy prosciutto, etc. Oh, and a basil lemon dressing! It is fresh and delightful and so filling.

This salad was originally inspired by my favorite salad at a restaurant called Mendocino Farms. Both summers that we lived in Southern California we lived near a Mendocino Farms and this was always my favorite thing on the menu. They called it The Sophisticated Chicken and Prosciutto Salad. The biggest difference between their salad and my version is I crisp up the prosciutto and it makes it SO good. I really like prosciutto, but sometimes it has a weird slimy taste to me, but if you crisp it up it has the best texture and flavor. Plus it gives the perfect crunchy element to this salad!

ingredients needed for this salad

SALAD

6 cups greens
1/2 lb cooked chicken
4 slices prosciutto
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water or chicken broth
4 large carrots
1 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper
1/2 cup almonds
1 roasted red pepper
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

LEMON BASIL DRESSING

1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp salt
pepper, to taste
1 cup basil
1/2 cup olive oil

other recipes you will love

Ingredients

salad

6 cups greens
1/2 lb cooked chicken
4 slices prosciutto
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water or chicken broth
4 large carrots
1 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper
1/2 cup almonds
1 roasted red pepper
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

lemon basil dressing

1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 F. While the oven is heating, peel the carrots and cut into bite sized pieces. Toss carrots with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until carrots are soft and roasted. Leave the oven on to crisp up the prosciutto later on.
While the carrots cook, start on the quinoa. Bring 2 cups of water or chicken broth to a boil. Add the quinoa, cover, turn the heat to low, and let it cook for 15 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked through.
To make the dressing, add the parmesan, lemon juice, honey, garlic, salt, pepper, basil, and olive oil to a food processor or blender. Blend until the dressing is mostly smooth (there may be a few small pieces of basil, and that is fine).
Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Cut roasted red pepper into bite size pieces. Crush almonds into smaller pieces.
Just before serving, place the prosciutto on a very lightly greased baking sheet. Transfer to the oven (still at 425F) and let it cook for 5-8 minutes, until the prosciutto is crisp. Let the pieces cool for a few minutes and then break them into smaller pieces.
To assemble the salad, toss greens with a small amount of dressing, then top with all the goodies — chicken, quinoa, roasted carrots, roasted red pepper, tomatoes, almonds, and parmesan cheese. Add any extra dressing you want and toss again. Divide among bowls and top with the crispy prosciutto and extra parmesan. Enjoy!

What’d you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts or if you have any questions!