Recipe: Greek Chicken Salad — Lunch Recipes from The Kitchn |Cooking With Amanda

Salty, briny feta and olives, and crunchy, lemony croutons are delightful little flavor bombs, making every forkful of this Greek-style salad a pleasure to eat. It's one of those salads that works well as a one-dish meal — a great lunch or dinner that comes together in just a few minutes.

While you could make this recipe even faster by using store-bought croutons, they are so simple and inexpensive to make at home. Furthermore, you can flavor them any way you want. Here, I've used oregano and lemon, classic Mediterranean seasonings that complement the Greek salad perfectly.

As for the dressing, it's a tangy, yogurt-based affair. A small clove of garlic goes a long way, pressed into the dressing without any cooking to mellow its flavor. My mother always adds fresh garlic to her salad dressings, and I think she'd like this one, too!

Greek Chicken Salad

Serves 4

For the croutons:
2 slices crusty bread, cut into 1-inch squares
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon oregano

For the salad:
2 heads romaine lettuce, sliced into 1-inch pieces
1/2 small red onion, sliced
2 Persian cucumbers, sliced
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
2 cups chopped cooked chicken

For the dressing:
1/4 cup plain yogurt (whole or low-fat)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, pressed or grated on a microplane
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Spread the cubed bread out on a foil-lined toaster oven sheet pan, or in a skillet if you don't have a toaster oven. Sprinkle the olive oil, lemon juice, and oregano over the bread and toss to coat evenly. Toast the bread or sauté over medium heat for a few minutes, until croutons are browned.

In a large salad bowl, combine the lettuce, onion, cucumbers, and olives. Add the croutons and chicken to the salad bowl with the vegetables. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients, then pour over the dressing and toss until all of the ingredients are evenly coated.

Recipe Notes:

To make this recipe with uncooked chicken, poach 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts before assembling the salad. (See how here: How To Cook Moist, Tender Chicken Breasts Every Time)

(Image credits: Coco Morante)