The Village Style Greek Salad with Chicken and Lemon Mint Vinaigrette is a vibrant and refreshing dish that brings together the flavors of Greece.
The salad features tender chicken tenders seasoned with salt and pepper, cooked to perfection and sliced into bite-sized pieces. It is combined with a medley of ingredients including thinly sliced red onions, juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumber chunks, and tangy Kalamata olives.
SERVES: 4
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
- 1 1/2 lb. chicken tenders
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup plus 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
- 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
- 1 medium clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
- 12 oz. feta, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (2 3/4 cups)
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, washed and halved
- 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 2/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Put the sliced onion in a small bowl and add enough cold water to cover.
- Trim off any exposed tendon ends from the wide tips of the tenders, if necessary. Season the tenders with 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Heat 2 tsp. of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Cook the tenders until well browned on both sides and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest while you make the dressing.
- In a large bowl, combine the mint, lemon juice, garlic, lemon zest, and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the remaining 1/3 cup oil. Set aside 2 Tbs. of the vinaigrette in a small bowl.
- Drain the onion and press gently to remove any excess water. Add the onion to the large bowl of vinaigrette, along with the feta, tomatoes, cucumber, and olives. Slice the chicken crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces and add it to the salad. Toss everything to coat. Divide the salad among 4 serving plates, drizzle with the reserved vinaigrette, and serve immediately.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
PER SERVING
- 690 CALORIES | 48G PROTEIN | 13G CARB | 49G TOTAL FAT | 17G SAT FAT |
25G MONO FAT | 4.5G POLY FAT | 170MG CHOL | 1,740MG SODIUM | 2G FIBER
NOTE:
- Village-style salads, called horiatiki in Greece, usually omit the lettuce and leave the other ingredients in rough chunks. Serve this salad with warmed pita.
FIVE EASY WAYS TO BUILD A BETTER SALAD:
- Discard damaged or coarse outer lettuce leaves or save them for something else.
- Wash greens well (use a big bowl and do two or three soaks, lifting the leaves up each time so that grit settles to the bottom) and spin-dry them. Store the leaves delicately packed into large zip-top bags lined with paper towels. Most greens will keep for several days like this.
- Don’t overdress your salad or it’ll be soggy. You can always add more dressing, but you can’t take it away.
- Toss with a light hand so that you don’t damage delicate greens.
- Season your greens with a little salt and pepper as you toss them with dressing. Even though the dressing is already seasoned, a little more salt and pepper at this point makes a huge flavor difference.
