CHICKEN, PEAR AND HALOUMI SALAD
Haloumi and fresh pear take this simple salad from ordinary to extraordinary! Bulghur wheat adds a nice nutty flavour and texture, and helps to fill you up too. This chicken, pear and haloumi salad is delicious for both lunch and dinner.
Most meats would work well in this salad – try sliced steak, sausages or even salmon as alternatives to chicken. If you can’t find bulghur wheat at your local supermarket, quinoa is a good replacement (and a good gluten-free option too).
CHICKEN, PEAR AND HALOUMI SALAD
Haloumi and fresh pear take this simple salad from ordinary to extraordinary! Bulghur wheat adds a nice nutty flavour and texture, and helps to fill you up too.
Ingredients
CHICKEN & HALOUMI
- 3 tsp olive oil, divided
- 500 g chicken tenderloins (1.1lb)
- 2 Tbsp pinenuts
- 200 g haloumi (7oz)
SALAD
- 1 cup bulghur wheat (200g)
- 1 tsp chicken stock powder dissolved in 1 cup boiling water (250ml)
- 3/4 cup frozen peas (110g)
- 1 large Packham pear
- 60 g baby rocket (2.1oz)
- 60 g baby spinach (2.1oz)
DRESSING
- 1/2 cup plain, unsweetened yoghurt (125ml)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp aioli
- 1 Tbsp cold water
- 1 tsp sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF) fan bake and line a large oven tray with baking paper.
PREPARE CHICKEN
Drizzle two teaspoons of olive oil over the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Heat a chargrill pan (or frying pan) over medium-high heat. Add pinenuts and toast (watch carefully as they burn easily). Remove from the pan and set aside. Cook chicken for a minute each side, until browned. You may need to do this in batches. Remove chicken onto one half of the baking tray.
PREPARE HALOUMI
While chicken is cooking, cut haloumi in 16 slices. Spread out on the other half of the baking tray and drizzle with remaining olive oil. Cook chicken and haloumi for 15 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and haloumi is golden brown.
PREPARE SALAD
Place bulghur wheat in a heat proof bowl and pour over the hot chicken stock. Stir to combine, cover with a lid and leave for 10 minutes. Microwave peas for 2 minutes. Thinly slice pear.
MAKE DRESSING
Whisk together all dressing ingredients and season with salt and pepper.
SERVE
Fluff up bulghur wheat with a fork. Place rocket and spinach in a large salad bowl. Top with bulghur wheat, peas, pear, chicken, haloumi and pinenuts. Drizzle over dressing and serve.
Recipe Notes
WINE MATCH: A chilled Pinot Gris is a nice accompaniment to this meal.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Replace the bulghur wheat with a 250g microwave pouch of brown rice and quinoa. Alternatively, just use quinoa. Cook according to instructions on the packet. Make sure you use gluten-free chicken stock (you can heat ready-made stock to boiling).
INGREDIENT SWAP: Lamb works well as an alternative to chicken. If you can’t find bulghur wheat you can replace with brown rice or quinoa (see gluten-free notes above). You can use all rocket instead of rocket and spinach, if you prefer.
OPTIONAL ADD-ON: Serve with fresh buttered bread (try sourdough or ciabatta).
STORING AND REHEATING: Package the chicken and haloumi up separately to the salad. Reheat in the microwave before serving.
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4 Comments
This was super yummy & easy, thanks for another great meal!
Awesome, thank you! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Yummy! Even my fussy teenagers liked it! My eldest has began showing an interest in the ‘different’ dishes I have started doing. He even helped at the end when I discovered I hadn’t done the dressing-he came to the rescue! (I think as it was past 6pm!). Despite my disorganised state it did take only the 30mins from start to finish. Very nice! Thankyou!
Thanks Carole! So pleased your family enjoyed this and great that your eldest was able to give you a hand too!