Chicken, chickpea and avocado salad with Asian-style dressing

Written by on Wednesday, 20 March 2019.
Tagged: gluten-free, healthy cooking, healthy eating, healthy lifestyle, legumes, nutrition

Chicken, chickpea and avocado salad with Asian-style dressing

 

If I’m going to have a salad for lunch, it’s got to be satisfying AND tasty! This salad ticks both those boxes. Both salad and dressing can be made while the chicken is cooking. Once that’s done, you just toss everything together! If you’re short on time, you could use a bought roast chicken. Remove the skin for a lower-fat, lower-salt meal. If you’re planning to take this for lunch, simply slice the avocado and dress the salad on the day.

Ingredients

  • FOR THE SALAD:
  • 2 chicken thighs (~250 g)
  • 100 g salad leaves
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • 1 x 400 g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1/3 cup mint, roughly chopped
  • 1 small or ½ large avocado, diced
  • Garnish – sesame seeds (optional)
  • FOR THE ASIAN-STYLE DRESSING:
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar (or use white wine or apple cider vinegar)

Nutrition per serve

2037 kJ (487 Calories), 34 g protein, 23 g fat (including 4 g saturated fat), 30 g carbohydrate (including 6 g sugars), 5 g fibre and 535 mg sodium

Directions

  1. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a pan on medium-high heat. Once hot, cook the chicken thighs for 8-10 minutes each side, or until cooked through. Then let the chicken thighs cool and slice thinly.
  2. Meanwhile, place the salad leaves, grated carrot, drained chickpeas and mint leaves in a large bowl and toss to combine.
  3. In a small jar, add the salad dressing ingredients, screw the top of the jar on tightly and shake to mix the dressing. Alternatively, whisk the ingredients in a small bowl.
  4. Add the sliced chicken and diced avocado to the mixture, drizzle over the dressing.
  5. Gently toss the salad to combine.
  6. Optional – garnish with some sesame seeds.

Variations

  • Add some spice – thinly slice a red chilli and add it to the salad dressing for a bit of a kick!

  • Add some sweetness – thinly slice a mango cheek and toss it through the salad for a little sweetness

  • Meat free – swap the chicken for grilled tofu

  • Swap mint for any other fresh herb you have at home

  • To make a gluten-free version use a gluten-free soy sauce

Recipe by dietitian Sophie Feng. You can see her on Instagram at @sophfeng

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