I usually don’t post recipes taken from cookbooks but once in a while I come across one that is so yummy, I feel like telling the whole world about it. I bought From simple to spectacular years ago when Jean-Georges Vogherichten was my ultimate favorite chef. Since then I have expanded my list of favorite chefs (with him still on it) but what hasn’t changed is how much I love and how often I still use his cookbook.
What’s interesting is that I skipped this recipe several times because the title lemon chicken salad didn’t catch my attention. Lemon and chicken are paired so often in uninteresting ways I automatically assumed this dish would be one of them.
When I say I was wrong about my presumption, I mean I was way way off what I expected the result to be.
IT’S DELICIOUS. SUPER DELICIOUS. CAN’T GET ENOUGH DELICIOUS.
The first time I made this chicken salad was for dinner as a side dish paired with quinoa stuffed peppers. After the first bite I was hooked: Juicy pieces of chicken brushed with extra virgin olive oil, seasoned with fresh rosemary and a pinch of salt. Who knew something so simple could taste so good!
The lemon preparation is also basic but different than how I usually serve it: segmented with the membrane completely removed made the lemon slices even more bright and refreshing.
Drop all that goodness on a bed of greens and you have a seriously amazing dish. The combination of tart, herbaceous, salty, meaty and crunchy are in perfect harmony in this lemon chicken salad. Not only is this recipe lip smacking delicious, it’s also one of the easiest you will ever make!
I woke up the next day with lemon chicken salad in my brain and lucky for me, there was a chicken breast left in the fridge.
I usually will have lunch at the computer while I am working on a post but this time, I sat at the kitchen table in complete silence so I wouldn’t get distracted by anything other than my meal. Bon appetit!
Lemon Chicken Salad Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Broiling
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Low Calorie
Description
Tender broiled chicken breast served with segmented lemons, atop a bed of mesclun lettuce.
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 6 cups mesclun, baby spinach, or other tender salad greens
- Salt and pepper to taste
- extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
Instructions
- In a cooking tray, add chicken breast and brush with olive oil on both sides (for Paleo Diet:omit olive oil and lay chicken on parchment paper). Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle rosemary on both sides.
- Turn the oven on to broil. Broil on each side for about 6 minutes, until chicken is a light golden brown.
- Peel and segment lemon, removing the entire membrane.
- Divide lettuce among two plates.
- Take chicken out of the oven, slice pieces width-wise and lay on top of the lettuce.
- Add lemon segments and pour a little dressing over. Reserve some on the side for dipping chicken or to add more to the salad.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
For the dressing:
- In a bowl, mix lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil and honey. Mix well until all the ingredients are emulsified. Season with a little salt and pepper.
Notes
The salad will not keep well in the fridge, it’s best enjoyed fresh.
However, you can save the chicken in a storage container and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 336
- Sugar: 6.8g
- Sodium: 85.4mg
- Fat: 29.4g
- Saturated Fat: 4.3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15.7g
- Fiber: 2.4g
- Protein: 9.4g
- Cholesterol: 20.7mg
