Super Protein Chicken Salad
This Super Protein Chicken Salad is packed full of some great ingredients, it’s easy to make, tastes fantastic and is really filling. Gone are the days when a salad was boring or just a garnish, this salad is a meal on it’s own, and is anything but boring!
Scrolling through the ingredients list you will see that we take our salads very seriously, and this is one serious salad indeed. Everyone knows Chicken is high in protein, but when combined with free range eggs, lentils, barley, edamame beans, beetroot, mushrooms, avocado, pomegranate sunflower & pumpkin seeds you can see why we call it the Super Protein Salad.
Whether you’re an athlete, a gym junkie, or just someone looking to eat super nutritious food you will be doing well to find a better balance of nutrients than the Super Protein Chicken Salad.
The secret to making fantastic salads is more than just great ingredients, it’s all about the care and attention used in putting your salad together. A salad with so many ingredients is not like a green salad where you can just toss the ingredients together; this salad like many you will find on our pages wants to be layered.
Yes layered. Combining the ingredients so that they all complement each other and bring out the desired flavours is essential. Layering will also bring out the best of the visual aspect of your salad, and we all know the first part of our taste buds is actually our eyes!
This Super Protein Chicken Salad is the perfect meal for anyone with an active lifestyle, not only does it taste fabulous, but it will fill you up without feeling heavy in your stomach. The roll call of superfoods in this salad speaks for itself, and I challenge anybody to show me a recipe with a better balance of nutritious ingredients in an easy to make, even easier to eat, dish that is suitable for an elegant luncheon, light supper and travels in the lunchbox.
Super Protein Chicken Salad
Equipment
- Electronic digital scales
Ingredients
- 2 x 110 - 125 grams Boneless, skinless chicken breast 4 - 4 1/2 ounces
- 45 ml Lime Juice approx 3 Tablespoons
- 2 Large Spring Onion, minced [60 - 70 grams] 2 - 21/2 ounces
- 2 Free Range Eggs, Hard Boiled and quartered 12 mins
- 30 grams Raw lentils [approximately 2 tablespoons] rinsed
- 25 grams Raw Pearl Barley [just under 2 tablespoons] rinsed
- 30 grams Edamame Beans, fresh or frozen [ 1 ounce] alternatively use peas
- 50 grams Cooked Beetroot, cut into matchsticks [1 3/4 ounces] This can be prepared a day in advance [Note 1]
- 75 grams Sliced, fresh mushrooms [approximately 2 1/2 ounces]
- 1 Ripe Avocado
- 100 grams Feta Cheese [1/2 cup] crumbled
- 45 grams Pomegranate Seeds [approximately 3 tablespoons]
- 45 grams Sunflower Seeds [approximately 3 tablespoons]
- 45 grams Pumpkin Seeds [approximately 3 tablespoons]
- Mixed Leaves
- Dried or Fresh Thyme
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken breasts in the lime juice, add half the minced spring onion along with a dash of salt and white pepper for a minimum of 30 minutes. Saute the chicken breasts over med/medium high heat until cooked through and a gorgeous golden colour. Set aside to cool. When cooled, slice the breasts about 1/2 centimetre (1/4 inch) thick
- Meanwhile, get the eggs on the boil in a saucepan. In two separate saucepans, cook the Lentils and the Pearl Barley according to packet instructions.
- Boil or Steam the Edamame Beans for only a few minutes- they still want to have a bit of a crunch, and be cooked throughout. Drain, refresh and set aside.
- Slice the mushroom and cut the beetroot and set aside
- Cut the avocado in half and remove the stone. Cut each half into slices about half a centimetre (1/4 inch). Remove the skin and set aside
Assembly
- Put a handful of mixed leaves on the plate or serving platter.
- Sprinkle some of the Pearl Barley and Cooked Lentils
- Layer up! Add half of the Edamame Beans, Mushroom, Beetroot, Pomegranate and Feta.
- Add the sliced chicken breasts and add a layer of mixed leaves, Barley, Lentils, Edamame, Mushroom, Beetroot, Pomegranate and Feta again
- Arrange your sliced Avocado and Boiled Eggs around/on your salad
- Sprinkle the remaining half of the Spring Onion on top along with the Sunflower and Pumpkin Seeds. Add a good pinch of dried thyme.
- Serve with some cracked fresh pepper on top and perhaps a pinch of salt
