Mixed Greens Salad with Chicken

I had a ton of leftovers to use up today, so I made a big salad for lunch. By keeping a few key items on hand, I can always whip up a healthy meal on-the-spot. Some of my key foods are: olive oil, lemons, fresh greens, and crunchy raw veggies such as carrots, onions, and bell pepper. They can be used a million different ways and I never get sick of them. This salad is an easy one to throw together in the morning if you take your lunch to work. Just store the dressing separately until you’re ready to eat.

Thanks to my leftovers, it only took me five minutes to prepare my yummy, and slightly messy salad. I made the hummus yesterday and plan to eat off it all week (see recipe here). I cooked the chicken breasts last night by poaching them for a few minutes on each side in a sauté pan with 1/2 cup chicken stock. Seasoned them with salt & pepper when they were done.

Mixed Greens Salad with Chicken

Salad:
2 handfuls of mixed baby greens
1 tbsp. onion, sliced
2 tbsp. yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
1 heaping spoonful hummus
1/2 chicken breast, pre-cooked, sliced thin

Dressing:
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. white balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Sprinkle of black pepper

Place two handfuls of mixed baby greens on a big plate. Slice up onion, bell pepper, and carrot and arrange on top. Slice chicken breast into bite-sized pieces and add to salad. Add a generous spoonful of hummus on the top or side. Combine dressing ingredients and drizzle over everything. Notes: Use organic ingredients when possible. Wash and dry all veggies and greens prior to preparing the salad.

To complete the meal, you can add a small scoop of whole grains before you pour the dressing on top. As for me, I just ate a few bites of leftover quinoa salad that I made earlier in the week.

Leftovers seriously make my life easier!