I don’t know what this salad really is – the oregano and basil, combined with tomato, make for a lovely Italian twist on this otherwise Grecian salad. I love grilling the chicken, so it scorches just a little, and pouring over zingy lemon juice to accentuate the moistness and replace a dressing.
This recipe is full of vitmains and minerals, with protein and fat from th feta, chicken, oil, and olives. If you want something more filling to have with this, cut up some pita breads, drizzle with olive oil and pepper (garlic would be great, too!), then bake in the oven to crisp. For something cooling alongside, mix together some Greek yoghurt, lemon, and shredded basil – but really, this salad is beautiful on its own!
This recipe can be gluten-free, grain-free, egg-free, nut-free, low-carb, and dairy-free.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients:
– 3 large chicken breasts
– 4 Tablespoons olive oil
– 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
– 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder, optional
– salt and pepper
– 1 lemon
– 1 bag baby spinach leaves/ washed spinach, roughly torn
– 2 tomatoes, cubed
– 3/4 telegraph cucumber, cubed
– 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
– 100 grams feta, cubed
– 1 handful basil leaves, thinly sliced
– 4-6 Tablespoons black olives, sliced
– extra basil leaves, to garnish
Method:
1. Place the chicken in a bowl. Drizzle over the olive oil, then sprinkle on the oregano, chilli, and salt/ pepper to your liking. Peel the rind off the lemon (washed) and slice thinly, then cut out a quarter of the lemon. Sprinkle the rind over the chicken, and squeeze over the lemon quarter’s juice. Toss well and leave to marinate while you chop/ prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. Preheat your oven’s grill to 220 degrees Celsius. Once hot, place the chicken on the grill and cook for 10-20 minutes, until when you cut into it the juice runs clear and it is no longer pink.
3. Meanwhile, layer the rest of the ingredients onto four plates. Slice the cooked chicken and arrange over the salad layers, then sprinkle over the remaining lemon juice and pop on some basil leaves. Serve, and enjoy! 🙂
