Who said eating salads is boring? This Mediterranean Style Chicken Salad with Creamy Yogurt Dressing is the perfect salad that combines both healthy and tasty. It is rich, savory, and indulging. The uniqueness of the flavors and texture tingle your taste buds.
You will love showing off this recipe to your guests or family for it is a showstopper! One bite of this salad will make you reach for more. Next thing you know, you will eat the whole bowl.
Rainbow in a Dish!
Why You Will Love this Mediterranean Style Chicken Salad
You will find yourself enjoying how rich and flavorful this recipe is. Moreover, there is a great variety of ingredients in one bowl. It includes ingredients that are commonly enjoyed by almost everyone. Fresh vegetables with a special dressing for maximum flavor.
This recipe contains chicken; these chicken slices are also flavorful, thanks to the marinade spices.
This salad is a wholesome meal that includes many ingredients that make it a well-balanced meal.
Wholesome Dish
Why Add Creamy Yogurt Dressing?
The simple answer is for a better richer flavor. This creamy Mediterranean style salad dressing is great for the salad which enhances the flavors in your mouth. You can also incorporate it into other salads.
What is the Difference Between Greek Salad and the Mediterranean Style Chicken Salad?
The main differences between the two salads are the dressing and the chicken. Greek salad focuses on olive oil, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic, vinegar, lemon juice, and oregano. It also does not contain any yogurt.
On the other hand, this Mediterranean Style Chicken Salad with Creamy Yogurt Dressing contains yogurt as a major component in its ingredients. This recipe contains chicken while the Greek salad does not.
Best Combo!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
You can keep it in the fridge for up to 2-3 days maximum. The longer the salad stays in the fridge, the soggier the vegetables will get. Also, the flavor of yogurt might change. It is advised to eat it fresh.
Of course, you can add some of your favorite vegetables. You can toss some corn, carrot shreds, or even cabbage. It all depends on your preference.
Yes, you can do that. Cutting chicken breasts into bite-sized cubes works as well, it actually makes it easier to blend in with the salad.
It is better not to. Mayonnaise is not as healthy as yogurt. It does not provide the creamy texture that yogurt does. It contains less water content which may be harder to blend into the dressing.
You can make this recipe vegan by removing some ingredients. You can replace chicken with tofu. For the yogurt, you can go for vegan yogurt that is available at some grocery stores.
Next-level Salad
Top Tips and Tricks
You can cut chicken breasts in half if they are too big. By doing this, they will be cooked well and distributed evenly in the salad.
Keep the homemade Mediterranean salad dressing separately in a jar. This way you can add it to your freshly cut salad without getting the vegetables all soggy. You can quickly reach out for the dressing and use it.
Avoid using store-bought salad dressing. They can include many ingredients and preservatives. It is better to make your own from scratch.
It is recommended to marinate the chicken for at least an hour. The more you marinate the chicken the better; it adds more to the flavor. You can marinate the chicken overnight as well to maximize the flavor.
It is better to mix the dressing in a food processor to ensure that everything is perfectly blended. Mixing by hand works too, but you need to mix it very well. Make sure to mix until you get a creamy consistency.
Creamy and Flavorful
Ingredients
For the Salad:
Romaine lettuce head
Cherry tomatoes
Pitted Kalamata olives
Red onion
Feta cheese
Pine nuts
English cucumber
Banana pepper
Avocado
For the Chicken:
Chicken breasts
Olive oil
Salt
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Paprika
Oregano
Basil
Black pepper
Garlic cloves
For the Dressing:
Yogurt
Olive oil
Salt
Vinegar
Black pepper
Oregano
Basil
Every Bite Is Surprising
Steps of Preparation
First, if your chicken is thick, slice it in half to make two thin slices.
Second, add them to a bowl along with the spices, garlic, and olive oil, and mix.
Next, marinate for an hour or more if you have time, or cook it right away.
Then, air fry at 400 for 12 minutes, flipping halfway, or pan fry on medium heat for 15 minutes flipping every so often. Let it cool then slice.
After that, assemble your salad by adding lettuce to the bottom then add the rest of the salad ingredients.
Finally, add the sliced chicken and make sure to add your dressing ingredients into a food processor or blender to make it creamy.
Serve with the salad and enjoy.
A Show-Stopper!
Must-Try Recipes:
Arabic Chopped Salad (Salata Arabiyeh)
Cucumber Yogurt Salad | Khiyar Bi Laban
Tabbouli Salad Recipe (Tabbouleh)
Authentic Middle Eastern Chicken Shawarma
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Mediterranean Style Chicken Salad with Creamy Yogurt Dressing
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 large Romaine lettuce head
- ½ cup Cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup Pitted kalamata olives
- ½ large red onion thinly sliced
- 1 cup feta cheese cubed
- ¼ cup pine nuts toasted
- ½ large English cucumber cut into large chunks
- ¼ cup banana pepper sliced
- 1 small avocado sliced
For the Mediterranean Chicken:
- 2 small chicken breasts
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon basil
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic minced
For the Dressing
- 2 tablespoons yogurt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon basil
Instructions
- Slice chicken breast in half if it's thick to make two thin slices.
- Add them to a bowl along with spices, garlic, olive oil, and mix.
- Marinate for an hour or more if you have time, or cook it right away.
- Air fry at 400 degrees F for 12 minutes, flipping halfway, or pan fry on medium heat for 15 minutes flipping every so often. Let it cool then slice.
- Assemble your salad by adding lettuce to the bottom then add the rest of the salad ingredients.
- Add the sliced chicken and make sure to add to your dressing ingredients into a food processor or blender to make it creamy.
- Serve with the salad and enjoy.
Notes
- You should marinate the chicken for at least an hour. The more you marinate the chicken the better. It adds more to the flavor. You can marinate the chicken overnight as well to maximize the flavor
- You can cut chicken breasts in half if they are too big. This ensures they are cooked well and distributed well in the salad.