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I used to claim I didn’t like salads. However, I can admit when I’m wrong. And I was very, very wrong. I just wasn’t eating the right kind of salads.
Good salads need to have a mix of texture and flavors. And they need to be big and filling. Since my conversion to someone who loves salads, I’ve developed a foolproof method for making delicious salads every time.
Each salad needs to have 3 elements: a crunchy element, a tangy element and a creamy element. Sometimes, they also need a sweet element, but it’s not always necessary. Usually, but not always.
This salad delivers on all 4 counts: cabbage and chickpeas for crunch, feta cheese for tang, avocado for creaminess, and hot honey for sweetness. The protein just happens to make it a full balanced meal.
And the dressing? Sweet, spicy, creamy and SO good. My favorite hack for making dressings creamy and high protein while also keeping them low fat is to use silken tofu. You can’t even tell it’s in there, so if you don’t like tofu, don’t worry. Just make sure to use silken, or soft tofu, because firm tofu won’t blend nearly as well. If you can’t find it, you can use mayonnaise too.
If you’re making this salad for meal prep, I recommend either keeping the dressing separate and tossing everything together once you’re ready to serve. Or, you can skip the lettuce in the base and use only green cabbage. This way, it won’t get soggy even if you add the dressing in advance.
Hot Honey Mustard Chicken Salad
Equipment
- 1 large bowl
Ingredients
Salad
- Cooking spray or 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 lb chicken breast (about 2 large breasts; see Note 1)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika, divided
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- ¾ tsp salt, divided
- 2 tbsp hot honey, divided (see Note 2)
- 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded
- 4 cups green cabbage, shredded
- 1 bunch green onions, green parts only, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup avocado
Creamy Hot Honey Mustard Dressing
- ¼ cup silken tofu (see Note 3)
- 2 tbsp hot honey (see Note 2)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Salad
- Season the chicken breast on both sides with ½ tsp of the smoked paprika, the garlic powder, freshly cracked black pepper and ½ tsp salt
- Brush with 1 tbsp hot honey then spray with avocado oil cooking spray
- Air fry at 375℉ for 17-19 minutes or until cooked through then set aside to cool
- Pat the chickpeas VERY dry then toss with 1 tbsp hot honey and the remaining smoked paprika and salt
- Once the chicken has cooled, dice into small pieces
Creamy Hot Honey Mustard Dressing
- Combine silken tofu, hot honey, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, smoked paprika and pepper in a small blender or food processor and blend until smooth; season with salt to taste
- Add the iceberg lettuce and green cabbage to a large bowl then toss with ¾ of the dressing
- Divide the dressed lettuce among two bowls then top with the diced chicken, roasted chickpeas, green onions, feta cheese and avocado
- Drizzle with the reserved dressing and serve
Notes
Nutrition
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