Chicken Salsa Salad

A fresh and tangy salad, inspired by summer salsa flavours.

Chicken Salsa Salad

I always think when you start a new job your sense of routine goes out the window. Holding hands with that is eating proper meals and home cooking.

It is part the reason our work culture gets blamed so much for health problems like obesity and depression. We spend too much of our day working and commuting, that by the time we get home from work it is so much more appealing to pick up some form of convenience food than make something fresh and nutritious ourselves.

I have fallen into that trap this week. Adjusting to a new routine has meant picking up Tim Hortons for lunch almost every day, and cooking whatever is easy in the evenings.

This evening however, I just really fancied a salad. And there’s not really an excuse not to make a salad – not when it comes under the quick and easy category. Minimal cooking effort – fridge to plate in roughly 15 minutes.

Recipe: Chicken Salsa Salad

Makes 2-3 servings, preparation time approximately 15 minutes

What you will need:

• 1 chicken breast, diced
• ½ red chilli – deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ tsp dried coriander
• Salt and pepper
• Handful of green lettuce mix
• 1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 200g ripe tomatoes, chopped
• Approximately 10cm cucumber diced
• 1 lime
• Olive oil

Method:

• Fry the chicken in a drizzle of oil for about 5 minutes until it is starting to brown.
• Add the chopped chilli, minced garlic, coriander and a pinch of salt and pepper to the frying pan. Stir well so the chicken is coated with the flavourings and continue to fry for a further 5 minutes. Set aside.
• In a large bowl add the green lettuce, diced red onion, diced cucumber and chopped tomatoes. Mix together.
• Cut the lime in half. Squeeze half the lime over the salad. Cut the other half into wedges for garnishing.
• Add a drizzle of olive oil.
• Add the chicken to the salad bowl, mix together and serve.