Souvla Copycat Greek Chicken Salad
YOGHURT RANCH DRESSING:
1 cup Greek yoghurt, preferably full fat
1/2 - 1 tbsp olive oil
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp EACH dried dill, parsley, chives, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper (Note 1)
1/2 tsp white sugar
Squeeze of lemon juice, to taste
CHICKEN & MARINADE:
200 - 250 g / 7 - 8 oz chicken breast, halved horizontally
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 - 1 tbsp oil, for cooking
PICKLED ONION:
1/2 red onion, halved then finely sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp white sugar
1/2 cup white wine vinegar, or cider vinegar
MARINATED KALE:
3 cups kale, torn into bite size pieces (Note 2)
1 - 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of salt
SALAD:
1 grapefruit or orange
4 cups cos lettuce, romaine or other crispy lettuce, torn or cut into bite size pieces
1/2 fennel, shaved (0.5 mm / 1/5" thickness) or finely sliced
Handful snow pea sprouts, optional
1/4 cup shredded parmesan
Instructions
Mix the Yoghurt Ranch Dressing ingredients in a bowl. Adjust olive oil + lemon juice to taste.
Chicken Marinade: Transfer 1/4 cup into a bowl with the chicken. Add lemon juice and garlic. Toss to coat, marinate for 1 hr - 24 hours.
Place Pickled Onion ingredients in a bowl, toss to coat. Set aside for 1 hour+ or until onion is softened (if in a rush, make sure the onion is finely sliced = faster pickle).
Place kale in a large bowl, drizzle with oil then sprinkle with salt. Use your fingers to massage the oil onto the leaves - you want to ensure every part of the kale is coated in oil. Set aside for 30 minutes or until kale is softened.
Segment the grapefruit or orange - watch the video. Do this over a bowl to catch juices. Squeeze all remaining juice out of the membrane after segmenting.
Pour juices into the Dressing. Mix - it should now be more of a Dressing consistency.
Cook Chicken: Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Add chicken and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until nicely charred. Transfer onto plate, cover loosely with foil and rest for 3 minutes. Slice thinly.
Assemble Salad: Add lettuce, fennel and chicken into the kale bowl. Spoon over most of the dressing to coat everything lightly, then toss well. Transfer into a serving bowl.
Scatter over grapefruit, onion (not the liquid), top with a handful of snow pea sprouts, sprinkle over parmesan. Drizzle over remaining dressing to taste. Serve!
Recipe Notes:
1. Feel free to swap the dried herbs for fresh. Triple the quantity if using fresh, finely chopped. i.e. 3/4 tsp of each herb.2. KALE: Tear the leaves off the thick stalk running down the middle of each leaf, then tear into bite size pieces. Measure the kale by lightly packing the torn pieces into measuring cups. This is a terrific easy way to prepare raw kale for salads.3. This recipe serves 2 generously as a main, or 3 normal people (perhaps with a small roll). Nutrition assumes 2 servings, assuming full fat Greek yoghurt is used.
SOUVLA CHICKEN SALAD WITH "GRANCH" DRESSING
Serves 4 generously
SALAD:
8 cups little gem lettuce, chopped (or bibb or romaine)
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 orange, peeled and cut into sections
3/4 cup fennel, thinly sliced
2 radishes, thinly sliced
1/2 c. cucumber, thinly sliced
1/4 to 1/2 c. pickled red onions - see recipe here
3/4 cup pea shoots
3/4 cup feta, crumbled or mizithra cheese, shredded
Toss lettuce, chicken, orange slices, radishes, cucumbers, and red onions in a large salad bowl. Add dressing and top with pea shoots and cheese. Serve.
GRANCH DRESSING:
1 cup full fat Greek yogurt
2 T. buttermilk powder- can be found in most grocery stores in the flour-sugar-baking isle
3 T. fresh lemon juice
1 t. garlic, finely chopped
salt
1 T. each fresh dill, chives, and Italian flat leaf parsely, finely chopped
In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice with buttermilk powder until smooth. Fold in yogurt, garlic, and chopped herbs. Season to taste with salt. Serve immediately or place in a sealed container and refrigerate for up to one week.
