Balanced Chicken and Chickpea Salad

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Delightfully high in protein, full of flavor and holds up all week in the fridge, this chicken and chickpea salad is one of my favorite things to prep for lunches. It features a rainbow of veggies, beans for fiber, chicken for protein and a luscious, higher-protein creamy balsamic dressing to tie everything together.

I hate to break it ya…

But you might not be eating enough 1) calories, 2) protein, or 3) fiber at lunch time. Raise your hand if you’ve been so busy that you’ve worked or mom-ed straight through lunchtime. Guilty 🥴 

And guess what happens? I’m overhungry for dinner, end up overeating, and then generally raiding the pantry for sweets in the evening. Woof. Listen, it happens to the best of us, but one of my proactive strategies for breaking this cycle is to prep a balanced salad that I am actually stoked to eat for lunch. Back in my restriction days, I’d ‘meal prep’ lunches for the week, but they were always low-calorie, sad, flavorless, and surprise surprise, I never felt like grabbing one for lunch.

A lettuce-based salad has her moment, but this salad is a sturdy girl. Full of hearty ingredients that hold up well to a thicker dressing and taste great all week! Feel free to swap in any other veggies you have on hand like bell peppers, red onion, cabbage, snap peas or broccoli or add other varieties of beans like white beans or black beans. I’d just avoid watery or wiltable ingredients like lettuce, spinach or baby greens. 

Enjoy!

A Few Thoughts on What You’ll Need to Make this Delicious Salad

• I use my meal prep chicken breast recipe for the chicken in this salad, but you could use whichever recipe you love for boneless skinless chicken breasts OR snag a rotisserie chicken
• You can find orzo in the pasta aisle, any other small pasta shake will work, or feel free to omit for a lower-carb, gluten-free salad
• I like Tuscan kale, but my grocery store didn’t have it, so I’m using curly kale in the pics. Either works!
• Looove the briny element that pepperoncinis bring to this salad, you could also use briny kalamata olives.
• Feta cheese and garbanzo beans bring mediterranean flavors to the salad, but you could use pretty much any cheese or any bean.
• The fresh herbs game here is loose- fresh parsley, green onions, fresh mint, fresh dill, any that you want!
• Creamy balsamic dressing – a combo of classics like balsamic vinegar and olive oil but with the creamy, tangy element of plain Greek yogurt! Trust me, it’s so good.

How to Make Chicken and Chickpea Salad

Cook the orzo in salted water according to package directions. Drain and toss with a little olive oil so it doesn’t stick.

Add the kale to a large bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Massage it for a couple of minutes until softened and glossy.

In a blender or small food processor, combine all dressing ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust as needed.

FAQs

Healthy lunch in 3…2…1…GO!

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Balanced Chicken and Chickpea Salad

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• Author: Erica Baty
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Salad
• Method: Chop + Assemble
• Cuisine: Mediterranean

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Description

Healthy chicken and chickpea salad with orzo, feta, and creamy balsamic dressing. A high-protein, meal prep–friendly salad that stays fresh all week.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Salad

• 1/2 cup orzo, uncooked
• 1/2 bunch kale, ribs removed and thinly sliced
• 2 Persian cucumbers, diced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup pepperoncinis, roughly chopped
• 8oz cooked chicken, chopped (I used my meal prep chicken breast recipe of course!)
• 4oz feta, cubed
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped

Creamy balsamic dressing

• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste or 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/3 plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon EACH kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard

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Instructions

1. Blend dressing ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings per your preference.
2. Cook orzo per the package directions in a pot of salted water. Drain and toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.
3. Add the kale to a large salad bowl and massage it with a little olive oil and salt for 2-3 minutes until it’s glossy and tender.
4. Add all of the remaining ingredients. Drizzle on the dressing and toss well to combine.

Holds up well in the fridge for up to five days!

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/6 recipe, about 2 heaping cups salad
• Calories: 362
• Sugar: 6.4 g
• Sodium: 542.5 mg
• Fat: 18.2 g
• Carbohydrates: 28.6 g
• Fiber: 4.6 g
• Protein: 21.1 g
• Cholesterol: 49 mg

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