Hummus Chicken Salad

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I’ve started trying to eat healthier again. After I had Baby J I did really well losing all of my baby weight within the first two months. I felt good about myself and didn’t really do much to help keep the weight off. It just naturally came off.

Once Baby J turned 9 months old I started gaining some of the weight back. I think it’s probably a combination of being home all summer, being in the house a lot because I’m with Baby J all summer, and not being at work. I always have a harder time eating right when I’m at home because it’s so easy to snack. I don’t have any time when I’m at work so I rarely snack.

I’m excited to be participating in #FarmersMarketWeek because in my quest to start eating healthier again I’ve been going to the farmer’s market every Friday morning. I love walking around the farmer’s market with Baby J and picking out fresh produce. However, there used to be a lot more vendors in previous years. While there are still several produce vendors there are now people selling coffee, honey, wine, beauty products, and other handmade items. I do enjoy looking at these things but mostly I go for the produce. I

I picked up some lettuce, peppers, onions, and cucumbers while I was there last week figuring they would make a fresh and delicious salad. I’ve been eating a whole lot of salads in order to eat healthier. I find that if I put a protein on them they taste good and are pretty filling. I try putting in as many vegetables as I can.

This recipe for Hummus Chicken Salad is a new one but I really like it. I tend to make the chicken a day in advance and then I can put it on top of a bed of lettuce for the next few days. The chicken is also good served in a pita as a sandwich. I like things I can make once but enjoy two different ways.

You can use a rotisserie chicken from the store but I simply used boneless chicken breasts that I seasoned and cooked in a pan. Then I tossed them with the dressing and vegetables and let them sit in the refrigerator to absorb the flavors. When it was time to eat I simply washed some lettuce and put the chicken mixture on top.

The resulting chicken salad was super tasty! I loved the flavors of the hummus dressing mixed in with the chicken and some of the fresh vegetables. It paired so well with the fresh, crisp lettuce from the farmer’s market. I drizzled a bit of a vinaigrette over the top of it but it probably didn’t need it.

Hummus Chicken Salad

Prep time

20 mins

Total time

20 mins

Chicken and vegetables tossed in a hummus dressing then placed on a bed of crisp lettuce.

Author: Heather Lynne

Recipe type: salad

Serves: serves 4

Ingredients

1 lb. boneless chicken breast, cooked and chopped into 1 inch cubes
½ c. hummus
3 T. lemon juice
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
¼ c. fresh parsley, chopped
2 t. za'atar
1 t. oregano
1 t. cumin
1 t. paprika
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
½ red onion, chopped
½ c. gherkins, chopped
8 c. mixed greens

Instructions

In a medium bowl combine the hummus, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, parsley, za'atar, oregano, cumin, and paprika. Mix well.
Add the chicken to the dressing and toss to coat.
Stir in the pepper, cucumber, onions, and gherkins.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
When ready to serve divide the lettuce between 4 plates. Top with the chicken salad. Enjoy!

Notes

Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine