Chicken Lentil Recession Salad (Print Version)

Nutritious cold salad featuring tender chicken, lentils, and crisp vegetables with zesty dressing.

# Components:

→ Proteins

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
02 - 1 cup dried brown or green lentils (or 2.5 cups cooked lentils)

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
05 - 0.5 cup red onion, finely diced
06 - 0.5 cup carrot, grated
07 - 0.25 cup fresh parsley, chopped

→ Dressing

08 - 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
09 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
10 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
11 - 1 garlic clove, minced
12 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
13 - 0.25 teaspoon black pepper

→ Optional Add-Ins

14 - 0.25 cup crumbled feta cheese
15 - 0.25 cup toasted sunflower seeds

# Preparation Steps:

01 - Rinse lentils under cold water. Place in saucepan, cover with water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 to 25 minutes until tender but not mushy. Drain and cool.
02 - Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
03 - In a large bowl, mix cooked lentils, chicken, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, carrot, and parsley.
04 - Pour dressing over salad ingredients and toss gently until evenly coated.
05 - Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese and toasted sunflower seeds on top, if desired.
06 - Refrigerate salad at least 30 minutes to enhance flavor before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's the rare salad that actually fills you up, thanks to the lentils and chicken working together.
  • Everything comes together in under an hour, and most of that time is the lentils doing their own thing.
  • It tastes better the next day, which means you can make it once and eat it all week without getting bored.
02 -
  • Lentils that look done are usually overdone—they should taste tender but have some integrity, not turn to mush.
  • The dressing tastes flat until it sits for a bit, so don't judge it too quickly.
  • A generous pinch of salt in the water while lentils cook saves you from having to fix the flavor later.
03 -
  • Don't salt the lentils while they cook unless you like them slightly firm; salt tightens the skin.
  • Taste the salad before you chill it—you can always add more lemon juice or salt, but you can't take it back once it sits.
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