Description
A vibrant, nutrient-dense salad combining tender chicken, creamy chickpeas, crisp vegetables, and a zesty lemon-herb dressing. Packed with protein and fiber for a satisfying meal!
Ingredients
Scale
- Salad Base:
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced (rotisserie works well)
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 English cucumber, diced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- Lemon-Herb Dressing:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- Optional Add-ins:
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds
- 1 cup baby spinach or arugula
- 1 tsp honey for sweetness
Instructions
- Prep ingredients: In a large bowl, combine chicken, chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, avocado, olives, and parsley.
- Make dressing: Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, mustard, oregano, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
- Combine: Pour dressing over salad and toss gently to coat (add avocado last if meal prepping to prevent browning).
- Finish: Sprinkle with feta cheese and optional nuts.
- Serve: Enjoy immediately or refrigerate for 1 hour to let flavors meld.
Notes
- Meal prep tip: Store dressing separately and add just before eating
- Vegetarian option: Omit chicken and add 1 cup quinoa or extra chickpeas
- Gluten-free: Ensure all ingredients are GF-certified
- Storage: Keeps refrigerated 3 days (avocado may brown after 1 day)
- Shortcut: Use store-bought rotisserie chicken and pre-chopped veggies
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins (if using pre-cooked chicken)
- Category: Main Course Salad
- Method: No-Cook Assembly
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 recipe
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 26g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 9g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 65mg