Greek Chicken Salad – Bring on Summer

Last year, I started a second job at a coffee shop and it was heaven — all the coffee I could dream of, right at my fingertips! The problem was, along with a ready supply of caffeine, there were tempting, sugary treats emitting their siren call all day long, too. Juggling two jobs wasn’t that difficult, but it wreaked havoc on my diet. Running from one place to another with so much unhealthy food nearby was a surefire recipe for disaster. When you’re busy and tired, it’s just easier to reach for something convenient that’s quick than something that’s good, or at least better for you.

I recently resolved to get back to healthier eating and a way to kick start things was to buy a pile of vegetables, and then to peel, slice, shred, or chop it all so it would be sitting in the fridge waiting for me to throw together at a moment’s notice. This Greek Chicken Salad is the result of past recipes I’ve created and checking to see what I happened to have in the fridge, which is usually how all the best recipes come about. You must try this Greek Chicken Salad! Not only does it make a great lunch or a light dinner, but once the weather heats up and the stores (or your garden) are piled high with ripe, juicy tomatoes, the salad will go from great to amazing. 

Begin by making a batch of lemon thyme chicken and setting it aside. The chicken can be used separately in a pasta salad, eaten with potatoes and steamed veggies for supper, or — of course— for today’s star: the Greek Chicken Salad.

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Greek Chicken Salad

Lemon herb chicken, salty feta and crunchy vegetables make a fantastic light salad perfect for lunch or dinner.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 4

Author Karen Humphrey

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breast halves
• 1 lemon
• 12 thyme sprigs approximately
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil
• 1 head of Romaine lettuce shredded or ripped into bite sized pieces
• 3 to matoes chopped (or use a pint of cherry tomatoes)
• 1 sweet bell pepper cored and chopped
• 1/2 English cucumber seeds removed with a spoon and sliced into moons
• 1/2 cup black olives sliced
• 250 g feta cheese

Instructions

For the chicken

1. Lay the chicken out on your cutting board on top of a piece of waxed paper or cling film. Lay another piece of wax paper or cling film over top.
2. Using a rolling pin, pound the chicken breasts until they are about the same thickness. Remove the top layer of waxed paper or cling film.
3. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, then the fresh thyme. Zest the lemon over top, tapping as you go to make the lemon zest fall onto the meat. Drizzle the chicken with about 2 tbsp of olive oil.
4. Heat a heavy frypan and add about another 2 tbsp olive oil. When it's good and hot, place the chicken in the pan, thyme and lemon side up. Let the chicken cook, sizzling away until the meat has browned before flipping and cooking the other side. Cook until the meat is no longer pink in the middle. You may need to do this in batches.
5. Remove the cooked chicken to a plate to cool to room temperature. When the chicken has cooled, slice thinly.

For the salad

1. To make individual salads, place a handful of Romaine into a bowl. Top with tomatoes, cucumber and peppers. Add about 1/2 of a chicken breast, then 2-3 tbsp of crumbled feta and some sliced olives.
2. Serve the salad immediately with your favourite dressing. We love President's Choice roasted garlic vinaigrette

Recipe Notes

The chicken can be made up to a day ahead of time.