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Warm Chicken, Spinach & Mushroom Salad
Recipe

Warm Chicken, Spinach & Mushroom Salad

Main • South Africa

Tender, spiced chicken with sautéed mushrooms served over baby spinach, finished with a quick lemon-mustard dressing and crunchy seeds.

Why smarter

Uses lean chicken and plenty of veg for volume, with a punchy dressing and a small amount of seeds for crunch instead of heavy extras.

Chef tip

Don’t overcook the spinach—just let the heat from the mushrooms and chicken gently wilt it so it stays fresh and bright.

Soft line

Warm, hearty salad vibes without feeling heavy.

Ingredients

# Ingredient Text Amount Unit Ingredient Name Notes
1 Chicken breast fillets, sliced into strips 500.000 g chicken breast fillets about 2 large fillets
2 Paprika 2.000 tsp paprika
3 Ground cumin 1.000 tsp ground cumin
4 Salt 0.500 tsp salt or to taste
5 Black pepper 0.250 tsp black pepper or to taste
6 Canola oil 2.000 tbsp canola oil divided
7 Brown mushrooms, sliced 300.000 g brown mushrooms or button mushrooms
8 Red onion, thinly sliced 1.000 small red onion or 1/2 medium onion
9 Garlic, crushed 2.000 cloves garlic
10 Baby spinach 150.000 g baby spinach washed and dried
11 Cherry tomatoes, halved 200.000 g cherry tomatoes
12 Lemon juice (fresh) 3.000 tbsp lemon juice about 1 large lemon
13 Dijon or wholegrain mustard 1.000 tbsp mustard
14 Honey 1.000 tsp honey optional but recommended
15 Seed mix (pumpkin and/or sunflower), toasted 3.000 tbsp mixed seeds toast in a dry pan 1–2 minutes
16 Fresh parsley, roughly chopped 2.000 tbsp fresh parsley optional

Method

  1. Season the chicken strips with paprika, cumin, salt and pepper.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp canola oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for 4–6 minutes, turning, until browned and just cooked through. Remove to a plate.
  3. Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the same pan. Sauté the onion for 2 minutes, then add mushrooms and cook 4–5 minutes until golden and any liquid has cooked off.
  4. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  5. Whisk together lemon juice, mustard and honey in a small bowl (or shake in a jar). Season lightly with pepper.
  6. Place spinach and cherry tomatoes in a large bowl. Spoon over the hot mushrooms and onions so the spinach wilts slightly.
  7. Add the chicken (and any resting juices) to the bowl. Drizzle over the dressing and toss gently to coat.
  8. Divide between 4 plates or bowls. Top with toasted seeds and parsley, and serve immediately.