Today, I want to pamper you with one of those recipes that surprises you with its taste and simplicity! A fresh and colorful boiled chicken salad with Greek sauce and bread croutons.
With the arrival of summer, the kitchen changes pace. The stove is used as little as possible, and one looks for light dishes, practical ones that can be enjoyed cold and, above all, prepared in advance!!
The shredded chicken salad with crunchy vegetables and Greek yogurt sauce is a preparation that I love and often indulge in! I like to enjoy it for lunch, but I also prepare it to take to the beach or for a day of work outside the house.
It encapsulates everything I look for in a summer dish: vibrant colors, different textures, freshness, and flavor. And if we’re honest, it’s also genuine.
How do you prepare shredded chicken salad?
Boil the chicken breast, let it cool, and shred it with your hands. Combine it in a bowl with raw carrots, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, and toasted croutons. Dress with oil, salt, and tzatziki. Add fresh parsley and serve.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who, in summer, has little desire to stand over the stove suffering from the heat!! The problem is that my work is precisely in the kitchen, so there are very few excuses for me! 🥣👩🍳
However, if we choose the right dishes, it will be less tiring than we think! Just like preparing this cold chicken and toasted bread salad!
This is the perfect summer recipe because it can be prepared in advance, served cold, is colorful, rich, and satisfying. Plus, it’s also a great fridge-clearer idea! You can add or remove ingredients based on what you have at home and your tastes!
And if you don’t like one of the ingredients I used, you can customize this salad and make it suitable for all seasons!
Enough chit-chat, let’s see how to prepare the shredded chicken salad with crunchy vegetables, croutons, and tzatziki sauce!
Make sure to read to the end for useful tips for making this recipe and a small gift for you 🩷🥰
But first, I’ll leave you with other delicious ideas for your summer! 🥣👩🍳👇
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Boiling, Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, All Seasons
Ingredients
- 21 oz chicken breast (whole or cut into not too thin slices)
- 1 cucumber (small, about 5 oz)
- cherry tomatoes (about 7 oz)
- lettuce (iceberg or to taste)
- 2 carrots (large)
- extra virgin olive oil (about 1 tablespoon per person)
- salt
- 1 cucumber (medium)
- 3.5 oz Greek yogurt 0% fat (lactose-free if intolerant)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- to taste chopped parsley
- mint (2 small leaves)
- 4 slices bread
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
- dried oregano
Tools
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Grater
- Sieve
- Bowls
- Spoon
- Saucepan
- Tea towel
- Pan
Steps
💬🍴 Did you like this recipe? Tell me in the comments!
I would really love to know if you will try this shredded chicken salad or if you will make it with your favorite ingredients 💚🥣
Leave a comment below ✍️ tell me your version or ask me a question, I always answer with pleasure! 👩🍳🥰🩷
If you like, share the recipe with friends and family, or save it to make it again soon! 📲🥗
To make this recipe, I bought a whole breast and had the butcher cut it into slices. If you prefer, you can buy it pre-sliced or cut it yourself at home.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Immerse the whole chicken breast (or sliced) and cook for about 15-20 minutes, until it is well cooked.
If you chose to cook the whole breast, it will take about 25 minutes, so always check the cooking before proceeding.
Drain it and let it cool completely. Only then can you shred it with your hands and put it in a bowl.
At this point, let’s prepare a fresh and delicious Greek yogurt sauce that will make our salad creamy and so tasty!
Also known as Tzatziki sauce, it is a famous cream used for many preparations. Made with cucumbers, Greek yogurt, garlic, oil, and mint. I make it without garlic for gastritis reasons!
First, we must clean the cucumber well. It is not enough to simply wash it under water; a small trick is needed to eliminate the bitterness present on the peel and inside.
You need to cut the two ends of the cucumber by about 0.8 inches, then with the cut pieces, you need to rub for about a minute until a whitish foam forms.
This is a sign that the cucumber has purged; repeat the same operation on both sides.
I’ve been following this clever tip ever since my mom taught it to me 🩷
On my Instagram profile, you will also find the video on how to do it.
At this point, grate the entire cucumber and wring it out well in a tea towel to remove all the water from the vegetation.
Put it in a bowl, add Greek yogurt, finely chopped mint leaves and parsley, and a tablespoon of oil.
Adjust salt, mix, and the sauce is ready! It can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days in an airtight container with a drizzle of olive oil on the surface.
If you have stale bread, even better; otherwise, cut a couple of slices of not too thin bread and then make many cubes.
Season with a drizzle of oil, a pinch of salt, and a sprinkle of oregano and toast in a pan or oven until crisp and golden.
We’re almost there! Wash and cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Peel the carrots, rinse them under water, then cut them vertically into thin strips and then cut them all exactly in half. You will have obtained really tasty thin sticks!
Wash the cucumber and slice it into rounds, rinse the iceberg lettuce well, and cut it into thin strips.
At this point, in the bowl where you placed the chicken, add all the other ingredients except the bread, which will be added at the end.
Adjust salt, pepper if you like, then add a couple of tablespoons of Greek sauce. Olive oil, finely chopped fresh parsley, and mix.
Taste to see if it’s right in salt, and if you want, add a little more sauce.
We are ready to go to the table! Plate, and for each serving, add golden bread cubes on the salad.
How beautiful is this boiled chicken salad? And you’ll see how delicious it is!
I am glad you accompanied me to the end of this preparation! I hope you liked it and that you will try it very soon!
Article protected by copyright © – Gabriella Geroni © All Rights Reserved
WHO IS THIS SALAD FOR? 🥣👩🍳🥬🌿
This shredded chicken salad is a balanced, light, and naturally gluten-free dish.
It’s suitable for many people, more precisely:
🥗 Healthy and Balanced Diet
Perfect as a main dish for those seeking lightness without sacrificing flavor.
🍝 Gluten Intolerant
All the main ingredients are naturally gluten-free (just use gluten-free bread for the croutons, if necessary).
👧👦 Children
Chicken is a lean and easily digestible protein, the vegetables are raw but sweet and crunchy: you can adjust the amount of tzatziki or substitute it with a milder sauce.
🌿 Those on a Diet or Following a Low-Calorie Regimen
It is rich in lean proteins and fresh vegetables, with good fats (if oil and sauce are dosed well), making it suitable for those who want to control calorie intake.
🥛 Lactose Intolerant
Just replace the tzatziki sauce with a version without yogurt or with lactose-free yogurt.
🚫 Not Suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans
Contains meat and yogurt-based sauce.
However, chicken can be replaced with smoked tofu or legumes, and a vegan sauce can be made using soy yogurt.
🚫 Not Suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans
Contains meat and yogurt-based sauce.
However, chicken can be replaced with smoked tofu or legumes, and a vegan sauce can be made using soy yogurt.
💡 RECOMMENDED VARIANTS:
🥑 You can add 1 sliced or diced avocado to your salad. Or blend it into a cream, add a couple of tablespoons of plain yogurt, and replace the tzatziki sauce if you don’t like it.
🥚 To make this dish even more complete, you can add a couple of hard-boiled eggs cut into wedges.
🥒 With raw julienned zucchini, also perfect as a base for an alternative seasoning like my raw zucchini pesto.
🥬 Don’t like iceberg? Try arugula if you prefer a stronger flavor. Or you can make my arugula pesto and add a few teaspoons to your salad.
🌿 If you love pesto like I do, try making asparagus pesto and enrich your salad with a delicate and especially original touch. Here is my recipe for asparagus pesto with almonds.
If you love creating small cold summer buffets or want ideas for starting a meal in a tasty way, I recommend exploring my collection of easy and tasty appetizers, my cold pasta and rice salads, or this selection of quick summer appetizers.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Should the chicken be washed before boiling?
No, it is not necessary to wash raw chicken under water. In fact, according to hygiene guidelines, washing can cause the spread of bacteria on the kitchen surface. Just pat it dry with kitchen paper if needed and cook it in boiling water. Boiling kills any microorganisms. The same goes for fish. Better not to wash it and proceed directly to cooking.
How do you boil chicken for cold salad?
To correctly boil chicken for use in salads, submerge the breast in a saucepan of boiling water. You can place the whole breast and cut it once cooked, or use pre-sliced chicken.
How many minutes should the chicken be boiled?
The cooking time varies based on the thickness of the slices.
If you use a whole chicken breast, it will take about 20-25 minutes. If you use sliced chicken breast, it will take 10-15 minutes.
Always check the cooking by cutting the thickest part (there should be no pink traces).Can I use already cooked chicken to prepare this salad?
Absolutely! If you happen to have cooked roast or pan-fried chicken from the day before and have leftovers, one of the best ways to reuse it is a nice cold chicken salad. You can enrich it as you wish using ingredients you have in the fridge or pantry.
Can I prepare this dish in advance?
Of course! You can prepare everything the day before and store it in the fridge well-covered so that the ingredients don’t absorb other odors present. I recommend adding the tzatziki sauce and bread croutons just before serving to maintain freshness.
What vegetables can I add to enrich the salad?
In addition to those provided, you can also use corn, radishes, olives, raw zucchini, thin peppers, or avocado.
How can I replace the yogurt sauce?
If you don’t like cucumber, you can omit it and make the sauce simply with Greek yogurt mixed with lemon juice and a drizzle of oil, or with a sauce made of yogurt and aromatic herbs. Otherwise, no Greek yogurt and choose a mayonnaise, even homemade.
How is mayonnaise prepared at home?
INGREDIENTS:
1 whole egg at room temperature
200 ml of seed oil (or half seed and half extra virgin if you prefer a more decisive taste)
1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar
A pinch of salt
Put all the ingredients in a tall, narrow container, insert the immersion blender all the way down and turn it on without moving it for 10-15 seconds, then slowly rise up. In a few moments, you will have a thick, smooth, and creamy mayonnaise. It keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days.Leftover boiled chicken not seasoned, how can I reuse it?
Leftover boiled chicken is a perfect base for many recipes!
You can use it, for example, to fill sandwiches or flatbreads with a bit of mayonnaise or fresh spreadable cheese.
Or add it to a cold pasta with grilled vegetables. Chop it and mix it with eggs and cheese to make meatballs in the oven.
It keeps in the fridge for 1-2 days, well-closed in an airtight container.How is this salad stored?
It keeps in the refrigerator for about 2 days in an airtight container. However, I recommend adding the croutons only when serving, to maintain their crunchiness.
Which wine could pair with this dish?
🍷 Vermentino
Fresh, floral, and with a slight marine sapidity, Vermentino (especially the Ligurian or Sardinian one) is perfect to accompany cold dishes based on white meat and raw vegetables.
🍷 Pinot Grigio
A dry white, with fruity notes and good acidity. Ideal for balancing the tzatziki sauce and vegetables.
🍷 Falanghina
For those who love more Mediterranean scents, Falanghina offers citrus and aromatic herb aromas, perfect with cucumber, parsley, and oregano from the croutons.
🍷 Prosecco Brut or Extra Dry
The ideal choice if you want to serve the salad as part of a buffet or appetizer. Choose a light and not too sweet Prosecco for a sparkling and convivial pairing 🥂
