My Mediterranean Chicken Salad is a delicious, easily prepared meal that is full of vibrant, fresh flavours and health benefiting nutrients. It is a high protein, low-carb meal which is perfect for lunch or a light dinner.
½smallred onion - finely sliced into half moon shapes
⅓cupfeta cheese - crumbled or diced
⅓cupfresh mint leaves - finely sliced
½teaspoondried oregano
2cupsrocket leaves/arugula
½avocado
2tablespoonextra virgin olive oilSee Note 1
1tablespoonlemon juice - freshly squeezedSee Notes 1 and 2
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
For the Chicken:
4chicken tenderloinsSee Note 3
1teaspoondried oregano
1tablespoonextra virgin olive oilSee Note 1
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
Instructions
Add the prepared tomatoes, olives, onion, feta, mint and oregano to a large bowl. Season the salad to taste with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, olive oil and lemon juice. Toss to combine. See Note 4.
Next, remove the white tendon at one end of the chicken tenderloin. Place the chicken between two sheets of cling film and gently pound to an even thickness until they are almost double in size.
Heat a grill pan or non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Brush or spray the chicken on both sides with olive oil and season with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and dried oregano. See Note 5.
When the pan is ready, cook the chicken 1-2 minutes per side or until cooked through and set aside. See Note 6.
Arrange the rocket/arugula and avocado on your serving plates. Top with the tomato salsa.
Slice the chicken and add it to the salad. Serve immediately.
Notes
The Australian tablespoon is 20 ml or 4 teaspoons. In many other countries, the tablespoon is 15 ml or 3 teaspoons. You may need to adjust your measurements accordingly.
If you don’t have fresh lemon juice you could substitute it with a vinegar of your choice.
You could also use 2 chicken breasts. If using chicken breasts, lay the breast flat on a cutting board. Place the palm of your hand on the chicken and carefully cut horizontally through the breast, giving you two pieces. Place between two pieces of cling film. Using the flat side of a meat mallet lightly pound each piece to a more even thickness.
I keep the rocket/arugula and avocado separate from the tomato salsa for presentation, but you can also toss them all together.
If you are not using a non-stick frying pan, you should add some olive oil to the pan, bring to the required heat and add the seasoned chicken.
The exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of the chicken. It is important to not overcook the chicken or it will be tough and dry. Resting the chicken on a warm plate, covered loosely with foil, for about 5 minutes, will help keep the chicken tender.
Please note, the nutritional information is based on two servings. The nutritional information is an estimate only.