We’re starting to get into my favorite time of year: early summer.
It’s not too hot, not too cold, and thunderstorms are forecast for just about everyday of the week. It’s the perfect weather to eat fresh fruit, sip on watermelon coolers, and eat a big bowl of salad for dinner.
I’ve got a thousand and one salad recipes I want to try out for the next few weeks, but I can almost guarantee NONE of them will be as refreshing as this one. Nothing screams cool summer salad to me like a bunch of cucumbers, tomatoes, and grilled chicken.
I had the idea for this recipe in my back pocket for quite some time. I keep a running list of ideas on my phone when the mood strikes me, and this was one of the first ones on the list. I don’t know why I hadn’t tried it before now, but I’m glad I finally got around to it.
The chicken is seasoned with za’atar seasoning, one of my favorite seasoning blends. It’s lemony and flavorful and goes really well with chicken or fish. This salad wouldn’t be complete without the cucumber-tomato-dill salad, which is just one of the fresh toppings.
I also made a sort-of “raita”…with feta, cucumber and sour cream. It isn’t traditional, but it gives the salad an even more refreshing bite.
You can also make this into a bowl-style meal and serve it with rice or brown rice and lentils. It’s great on its own though, too.
Enjoy!
Persian Chicken Salad
A refreshing salad made with za'atar spiced chicken, tomato and cucumber salad, and a cool feta dressing.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. chicken breast
- 1/4 cup + 2 TBS. olive oil
- 2 TBS. za’atar seasoning
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- 4 cups romaine hearts, chopped
For the cucumber-tomato salad:
- 2 cucumbers, diced
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 TBS. lemon juice
- 2 TBS. fresh dill, chopped
- Sea salt, to taste
For the feta dressing:
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 1 TBS. fresh mint, chopped
- 1 TBS. fresh dill, chopped
- Sea salt, to taste
Directions
- Heat 2 TBS. olive oil in a large skillet. Season chicken with za’atar and salt. Cook chicken until browned and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and cut into bite-size pieces.
- Make the cucumber-tomato salad: combine cucumbers, tomatoes, lemon juice, dill and salt in a small bowl. Stir until well combined.
- Make the feta dressing: stir together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Dress the salad: toss romaine hearts with 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Make the salad: start with dressed romaine hearts and top with a few spoonfuls of chicken, cucumber-tomato salad, and feta dressing. Serve.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Heat 2 TBS. olive oil in a large skillet. Season chicken with za’atar and salt. Cook chicken until browned and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes per side.
Remove to a plate and cut into bite-size pieces.
Make the cucumber-tomato salad: combine cucumbers, tomatoes, lemon juice, dill and salt in a small bowl. Stir until well combined.
Make the feta dressing: stir together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Dress the salad: toss romaine hearts with 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper. Make the salad: start with dressed romaine hearts and top with a few spoonfuls of chicken, cucumber-tomato salad, and feta dressing. Serve.
