MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN SALAD
When I was 12 years old, we lived in New Jersey for a year. Because our time there was so brief, I can’t pretend to have a whole lot of memories of the place. I do, however, remember Vicki’s. It was this local diner we used to frequent often, and every time we went, my order was the same: a blueberry muffin sliced in half and toasted on the griddle with plenty of butter and a big ol’ greek salad. I don’t think I ever branched out, because I was perfectly satisfied with that. Ever since then, I’ve been obsessed with Greek salads. For me, a good one checks all the boxes: tangy, vinegary, crunchy, fresh…
If you’re into all those things, give this one a try. I ate some version of this (or sometimes even just plain Kalamata olives) pretty much every day during my second pregnancy. Mmmmm. The recipe includes chicken per my protein-loving husband’s request, but it’s just as good without it. He even requested it for his birthday dinner this year! It’s quick and extremely easy, so I’ll never complain about a dinner request like that!
Mediterranean Chicken Salad
Serves 2
Ingredients:
For the Salad:
- 1 1/2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
- about 1/2 a long English cucumber, peeled, sliced into 1/2-inch discs, then discs quartered
- about 20 grape (or cherry) tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 a red bell pepper, roughly diced
- about 16 kalamata olives, quartered
- 2/3 c feta cheese
- 4 chicken breast tenderloins, trimmed of fat and tendons
- Mrs. Dash seasoning
For the Dressing:
- 1/4 c good quality olive oil*
- 3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- the juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 T fresh basil, chopped fine
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Directions:
- Season both sides of chicken with about a 1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash per side (or a light sprinkling of garlic powder and onion powder), 1/4 tsp kosher salt per side, and black pepper.
- Heat a medium skillet on medium-high heat. Add just enough olive oil to thinly coat the bottom of the pan.
- Add chicken to pan and cook about 4 minutes, or until nicely browned. Flip chicken and continue cooking until cooked through (another 3-4 minutes).
- Remove chicken from pan and let rest on a cutting board.
- Divide salad ingredients from romaine through feta between two large bowls.
- Slice chicken diagonally into thin strips and place atop salads.
- To make dressing, combine all ingredients except oil in a bowl or blender. Very slowly drizzle in oil while whisking furiously (or while blending) to allow oil to bind and emulsify. Taste, and add more sugar, salt, or lemon juice as needed/desired.**
- Top salads with a little bit of dressing, toss, and taste. Add more dressing to salads as needed.
NOTES:
*If you can, buy a good garlic-infused olive oil. It makes any salad dressing (or anything) taste so much better.
**This dressing is meant to be quite tangy, especially when sampled on its own. When added to the salad, it won’t be too overwhelming.
