Spring is finally here in Melbourne! (Lockdown or not!) Can you think of any better meal than a nice salad on a warm sunny day? Especially like this Italian-Style Salad With Poached Chicken. It is packed with protein and fresh greens and vegetables like cos lettuce, cherry tomatoes, chickpeas and green beans.
Smoked capsicum and salty anchovies bring in Italien flavours and the mustard vinaigrette brings it all home. It is so satisfying and delicious you will make it again and again.
Salads for me are the quickest and the most delicious way to get all those important nutrients that our bodies require. And today it is more important than ever to boost our immune system.
I made this Italian-style salad with poached chicken, but you can use any kind of chicken you like, grilled or fried. The roasted chook from Coles or Woollies will do too. You can also leave the chicken out altogether if you prefer. However, if you would like to poach your chicken, which I would recommend you do if you have time, simply click here. It will only take you about 15 minutes max.
This Italien-style salad with poached chicken is very versatile. Perfect for lunch or dinner, just quickly mixed all together in a big bowl. If you are taking it to work as lunch (yes, I am sure these times will come) I'd arrange them so that all ingredients stay separate and pack the dressing in a separate container. This way everything will stay crisp and fresh and all you have to do is to mix it all together whenever you are ready. Mason jars are really good for this.
LET’S MAKE AN ITALIAN-STYLE SALAD WITH POACHED CHICKEN
Italian-Style Salad With Poached Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 cups Cos lettuce finely chopped
- 1 can Organic tinned chickpeas drained (only use BPA free variety)
- 1 cup Blanched green beans diced
- 2 Poached chicken breast see my recipe how to poach chicken
- 1 Big red capsicum roasted ((you can buy it from the deli section in your supermarket or roast it yourself, see instructions below))
- 1 punnet Cherry tomatoes
- 8 Anchovies roughly chopped ((you can add more or less depending on your preference))
- ⅓ cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper to season
Instructions
- Start by roasting your capsicum. Turn the gas flame to medium heat. Set the capsicum directly over the flame. Turn the capsicum occasionally with tongs until all sides are blackened and blistered.
- Take it off the flame and let it cool off on a plate.
- Meanwhile, wash and cut the beans, cos lettuce, tomatoes. Chop anchovies into small bits. If you are going to serve the salad straight away, put all ingredients in one bowl. Otherwise, put them in a storage container side by side.
- Chop chicken into small cubes. Add it to the salad bowl/storage container.
- Now your capsicum must be cold enough to peel it. The burnt skin should come off very easily. If you are left with a lot of black bits, simply rinse it under running water. However make it fairly quick, you don't want to wash off all the flavours. Dry with a paper towel. Cut it into matchsticks, add one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper and mix it all to combine. Add it to the other ingredients.
- Wisk the remaining olive oil, mustard, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to make the vinaigrette. Add the dressing to the salad bowl or put it on the side until ready to serve.
- Ready to eat? Gently mix all ingredients together, serve, and enjoy!
FOR MORE QUICK AND DELICIOUS GLUTEN-FREE IDEAS CLICK HERE.
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know by leaving a comment below – it will make my day! You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #aisforappleau
Thank you!
This recipe was adapted from Gwyneth Paltrow’s book, It’s All Easy. Featured at https://goop.com/
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