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Mediterranean Chicken & Olive Salad
Recipe

Mediterranean Chicken & Olive Salad

Main • South Africa

A satisfying Mediterranean-style salad built around pan-seared chicken, crunchy cucumber and peppers, briny olives and a simple lemon dressing. Great for lunch or an easy weeknight dinner.

Why smarter

Uses lean chicken and plenty of high-volume veg for fullness, with flavour coming from lemon, herbs, olives and a modest amount of feta instead of heavy creamy dressings.

Chef tip

If you have time, marinate the chicken for 30 minutes in the lemon, garlic and oregano for extra flavour (no extra ingredients needed).

Soft line

Fresh, zesty and properly filling.

Ingredients

# Ingredient Text Amount Unit Ingredient Name Notes
1 Chicken breast fillets, sliced into 1 cm strips 500.000 g Chicken breast fillets Skinless, boneless
2 Canola or grapeseed oil 1.000 tbsp Canola oil Or grapeseed oil
3 Lemon, zest and juice 1.000 whole Lemon
4 Garlic, crushed 2.000 cloves Garlic
5 Dried oregano 1.000 tsp Dried oregano
6 Smoked or sweet paprika 1.000 tsp Paprika
7 Salt 0.500 tsp Salt Adjust to taste
8 Black pepper 0.250 tsp Black pepper Adjust to taste
9 Romaine/cos lettuce or mixed salad leaves 120.000 g Lettuce Washed and chopped
10 Cucumber, diced 1.000 medium Cucumber
11 Cherry tomatoes, halved 250.000 g Cherry tomatoes Or 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
12 Red onion, thinly sliced 0.500 medium Red onion
13 Red or yellow pepper, sliced 1.000 medium Bell pepper
14 Pitted olives (kalamata or mixed), halved 100.000 g Olives
15 Feta, crumbled 80.000 g Feta
16 Red wine vinegar 1.000 tbsp Red wine vinegar Or apple cider vinegar
17 Extra lemon juice (from the lemon above, or additional if needed) 1.000 tbsp Lemon juice Use to taste for dressing
18 Fresh parsley, chopped 2.000 tbsp Parsley Optional but nice

Method

  1. In a bowl, toss the chicken strips with lemon zest, 1 tbsp lemon juice, garlic, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper.
  2. Heat the canola/grapeseed oil in a large non-stick pan on medium-high heat.
  3. Pan-sear the chicken for 6–8 minutes, turning until cooked through and lightly browned. Remove from heat and let it rest while you build the salad.
  4. In a large salad bowl, combine lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion and pepper.
  5. Add the olives and toss gently.
  6. Whisk together red wine vinegar and 1 tbsp lemon juice (plus a pinch of salt and pepper if needed).
  7. Add warm chicken to the salad, drizzle over the dressing and toss to coat.
  8. Top with crumbled feta and parsley. Serve immediately (or pack for lunch once cooled).