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Zesty Chicken & Chickpea Garden Salad

Zesty Chicken & Chickpea Garden Salad

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Ingredients

  • 1 medium cucumber, approximately 200 g, peeled, deseeded and diced
  • 200 g tomato, diced
  • 60 g red onion, finely diced
  • 300 g cooked chicken breast, diced
  • 240 g cooked or canned chickpeas, drained
  • 60 g mayonnaise
  • 15 g honey
  • 15 g olive oil
  • Ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 g chilli powder
  • 3 g salt, or to taste
  • 30 g fresh lemon juice
  • 15 g fresh coriander, finely chopped

Instructions
 

  • Prepare The Cucumber: Peel, deseed and dice the cucumber into small cubes, then place it in a large mixing bowl.
  • Dice The Tomato: Dice the tomato into small pieces and add it to the cucumber.
  • Add The Red Onion: Finely dice the red onion and add it to the bowl.
  • Prepare The Chicken: Dice the cooked chicken breast into bite-sized pieces and add it to the vegetables.
  • Add The Chickpeas: Add the drained cooked or canned chickpeas to the chicken and vegetable mixture.
  • Build The Dressing: Add the mayonnaise, honey and olive oil to the bowl.
  • Season The Salad: Add black pepper, chilli powder and salt to taste.
  • Toss Everything Together: Gently mix until the dressing coats the chicken, vegetables and chickpeas evenly.
  • Add Fresh Lemon Juice: Squeeze the fresh lemon juice over the salad and toss gently again.
  • Finish With Coriander And Serve: Add the finely chopped fresh coriander, mix once more, transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

Notes

This is the kind of salad that looks wonderfully fresh on the plate but eats like a proper meal. Tender chicken and creamy chickpeas give it enough substance to keep hunger away, while cucumber, tomato and red onion bring plenty of crispness and colour. The dressing is deliberately simple, combining mayonnaise with honey, olive oil and fresh lemon for a creamy, sweet-tangy finish. A touch of chilli powder adds warmth without turning the salad into a fiery dish. Fresh coriander brings the final burst of fragrance and ties the vegetables, chicken and chickpeas together beautifully. If you are new to making composed salads, this recipe is an excellent lesson in texture because every ingredient has a distinct role. The most important technique is not complicated  cooking but careful preparation, particularly removing the watery cucumber seeds before dicing it. I also recommend adding the lemon juice near the end so its bright acidity remains noticeable rather than disappearing into the dressing. The finished salad is colourful enough for a lunch table and practical enough for a quick weekday meal. 

Nutrition

Serving: 285gCalories: 396kcalCarbohydrates: 24.2gProtein: 29.9gFat: 19.5gSaturated Fat: 3.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 5.7gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 490mgPotassium: 690mgFiber: 6gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 1050IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 65mgIron: 2.5mg