Braised Chicken Salad with Herb Dressing – Fragrant and ‘oh so tasty’

Who does not love a succulent chicken salad in the summer heat? This braised chicken salad will tick all the boxes for a delicious, nutritious summer salad. Playing with different flavour combinations is key to keep this salad exciting and refreshing each time you prepare it.

This braised chicken salad is an excellent choice for a quick, light lunch. The cos lettuce provides that delightful crunch every salad needs to be a winner. An interesting duo of cajun seasoning and peach juice gives that bold flavour we look for when enjoying chicken. The most important addition to this braised chicken salad is the zesty salad dressing which will kick your taste buds to life.

There is no wrong way to prepare a chicken salad. Experiment with various flavour combinations and ingredients to get to the result you like most. Some favourites you can add is sour-sweet cranberries, crunchy nuts or pumpkin seeds. What about adding some avocado, chunks of feta cheese of whatever ingredient you have in your pantry or veggie garden that will complement this salad? Remember to use the leftovers for tasty sandwiches the following day.

Braised Chicken Salad with Herb Dressing 

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Recipe by Irene Muller Course: LunchCuisine: South AfricanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

Ingredients

• CHICKEN

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 800 g chicken breasts, skin removed (±10 breasts)

• 1 cup flour

• 3 tablespoons cajun

• ¾ cup peach juice

• SALAD DRESSING

• ½ cup lime juice (2 squeezed limes)

• 3 tablespoons water

• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 4 tablespoons fresh finely chopped parsley

• 3 teaspoons dried basil

• 3 teaspoons crushed garlic

• 2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves

• 1 teaspoon salt

• freshly ground pepper

• SALAD

• 4 cups romaine (or cos) lettuce leaves, washed and dried

• 4 roma tomatoes, diced

• 1 red onion, sliced

• 100 g pitted kalamata olives (or black olives), sliced (optional)

• lemon wedges to serve (optional)

• 6 spring onions, diced

• herb rocket to garnish

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180°C / 356°F.
• Mix the cajun spice with the flour in a shallow bowl.
• Coat the chicken breast with the flour mix.
• Place a skillet on high heat, add half of the olive oil and butter. When the butter is bubbling, add the chicken breasts.  Braise well on both sides until golden brown.  Add more oil and butter if needed. Set aside in a greased oven dish.  Repeat until all the chicken is done. 
• Add the peach juice, cover and place in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. When done, remove from oven and let it cool. 
• Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a large jug. Keep cooled in refrigerator.
• While waiting for the chicken to cool, prepare the salad ingredients.
• Once the chicken is ready, slice or pull the cooked chicken apart, arrange on a platter with all the other fresh salad ingredients, drizzle with the dressing and serve.

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Looking for more light lunch ideas to combat the summer heat? We have an arsenal of recipes waiting to be explored. Just have a look at our recipe page.