Make Yourself A Healthy Grilled Chicken Salad

Hey guys! How’s it been going? Personally, my work life has been slightly crazy, and by slightly crazy I mean it’s been mental, off-the-rails, maddening kinda crazy. It goes without saying I’ve not had a whole lot of time to cook something for myself for most of the week. Ordering in became my survival and I would end up ordering the most ridiculously unhealthy stuff on the menu. So when I finally did get some time on my hands this week, I decided that my body deserved some nutrition and a whole lot of appreciation for what I put it through.

And what better way to show gratitude to your body than to give a healthy, filling, and yummy salad? Okay I know what you’re thinking. Salads are healthy? Definitely. Filling? Debatable but still an acceptable notion. But yummy? Does anyone truly like salads? Well, I felt the same way till my mum found a way to make me eat my veggies. All she had to do was add some chicken to it. 😂 It really was that simple yet effective way for us to appreciate the greens (and the reds and yellows) and that’s probably why we say, mother knows best!😇

Before we get started, I think it would make sense to mention that this salad has a fair amount of work that goes into it. So definitely choose to make it on a leisurely day so that all the cutting and chopping involved does not overwhelm you. With that being said, let’s get on with the recipe, shall we?

Ingredient list:

• Ginger garlic paste
• Lemon juice
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• Smoked paprika
• Garlic
• Onions
• Zucchini
• Bell peppers
• Broccoli
• Cumin powder
• Italian herbs
• Walnuts
• Pumpkin seeds
• Chicken breast

A few pointers before starting out:

• The veggies can be customized according to preference or availability. I have previously made variations by adding mushrooms, or some corn at times.

• To make a vegetarian version of this dish, you can opt for other proteins like cottage cheese (paneer) or tofu. The same marinade mentioned for the chicken breast can be used for these proteins as well.

• This entire dish is a play on textures, so ensure you top it off with any nuts (almonds, walnuts) or seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, sesame) of your preference, to keep it crisp.

• While adding bell peppers and zucchini, I added only half of these because I was cooking only for myself and hence required a small serving. Yet, it made two servings and I binged on this for lunch as well as dinner. However, if you require a bigger quantity, use the entire vegetable, or maybe 2?!

• Keep all the elements prepped and ready because the salad needs to be tossed together quickly. This ensures the freshness as well as the crunchy texture of the veggies remain intact, and you are not left with a sloppy soggy mess.

Element #1: Chicken

• Wash and clean the chicken breast.

• Dry rub it with salt and paprika and let it sit for 10 minutes.

• Add 1 tsp of ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp lemon juice and 1 tsp of olive oil.

• Allow the chicken to marinate for 30 minutes while you get the other elements prepped.

Element #2: Broccoli

• Cut the broccoli into bite sized florets.
• Wash the florets and add them to a pot of boiling water.
• Add a pinch of salt into the boiling water.
• Blanch the broccoli till it is cooked.

Element #3: More Veggies

• Mince or finely chop around 8-10 garlic cloves.

• Cube 2 red onions

• Dice the zucchini into small bite sized pieces. I only had green available, but yellow zucchini also adds a fun color to the dish.

• Dice the bell peppers. I have used yellow, red and green ones, but you can use whichever ones are most easily accessible to you.

Element #4: Toppings

• Chop some walnuts/almonds roughly
• Toast some pumpkin sides
• Finely chop coriander leaves

Element #5: Dressing (Optional, but definitely recommended)

• Take 3 tbsp of tahini dressing

• Add 1 tbsp of hung curd

• Add water, depending on the consistency you would like your salad dressing to have.

• Add chopped coriander leaves to this mixture

P.S: It’s a homemade tahini dressing that I make in a small batch, so let me know if you would want the recipe to that as well. It makes for an amazing salad dressing and an even more fabulous dip.

The Recipe:

• In a pan, add some olive oil. Grill the chicken breast for approximately 4-5 minutes on one side and then flip it over. Ensure the chicken is cooked through.

• Heat the wok and add 2 tbsp of olive oil

• Sauté the minced garlic

• Add the cubed onions and sauté for 2 minutes

• Add the diced zucchini and let this cook for 5 minutes as zucchini takes slightly longer to cook through.

• Toss in the bell peppers and stir fry for a minute

• Add the blanched broccoli and mix well

• Add salt and pepper to season the vegetables

• Add in 2 tsp of Italian herbs, 1 tsp of paprika and 1 tsp of cumin powder.

• Mix it well and after 2-3 minutes, switch off the flame.

• Serve hot, add the toppings and drizzle the salad dressing.

Serving suggestions:

• I topped off the salad with grilled and sliced chicken breast, which I eventually diced into smaller pieces and mixed in with the veggies.

• Add a sprinkling of walnuts and toasted pumpkin seeds, or any nuts and seeds of your choice.

• Chopped coriander leaves or mint leaves elevate the flavor profile with their herby goodness.

• The salad tastes equally great without any dressing, almost like a stir fry, but the tahini dressing goes soooooo well with this one.

• Add wedges of lime for some tanginess.

• I wish I could give you a good pairing with this, but I had my healthy salad with a not-so-healthy sugary cocktail because I wanted to treat myself. Balanced, as all things should be, eh?

The entire prepping procedure truly helped me de-stress which was much needed. So someday, when you have the time, do try this out as a little thank you to your body. And maybe don’t top it off with something unhealthy like I did. I’m sure your gut will thank you for it. With another week starting out, I truly hope work does not overwhelm me again. Throw a prayer my way, will you? Until next time Hivers, ciao!