Grilled Thin Chicken Breast Salad with White Bean Puree, Asparagus, Endive and Arugula

Tuesday, 17 April 2012 | Written by Karen Sheer |Printer-friendly versionSend to friend

A wonderful light and healthy meal for lunch, dinner and company. Layering components adds height and texture.

A restaurant style entree that is easy to make at home. Three recipes given:

Marinating and Grilling Thinly Sliced Pounded Chicken (Preparing Asparagus, Endive and Arugula for layering).

White Bean Puree with Lemon and Za'atar Seasoning

Lemon Greek Yogurt Vinaigrette

Thinking ahead to the warm breezes of Spring and Summer ~ it is nice to serve and enjoy composed salads. These are layered with a few different ingredients: includes protein, starch and vegetables all on one plate.

Thinly cut and pounded marinated chicken will prove to be a great time saver. It cooks in just minutes, and can be made ahead of time. Yogurt, extra virgin olive oil and garlic produce very tender chicken, so marinating it a little before grilling is preferred, or overnight.

The white bean puree is a snap to make: just add ingredients and swirl in a food processor. Za'atar seasoning flavors the puree, a Mediterranean staple spice. I love this blend; a mix of herbs (thyme and oregano), sumac and sesame seeds. Sumac is a deep red colored berry, ground into a spice and adored and used to flavor Middle Eastern and Turkish dishes. It has a distinctive sour essence - but in a pleasing way.

To assemble the salad:

First, the White Bean Puree is spread on the bottom of each plate. Then white and green asparagus are layed down (steam them or grill them). A piece of grilled thin chicken is added, then some sliced endive and arugula. Keep building up to your liking. See photo of how I like it layered. I marinate the chicken in the Lemon - Greek Yogurt Vinaigrette for a tang of flavor, and toss the dressing with the lettuces as well.

Enjoy,

Karen