High Protein Cucumber Chicken Salad
Dive into a delightful High Protein Cucumber Chicken Salad that's as satisfying as it is nutritious! This vibrant dish combines tender grilled chicken, crisp cucumber, and zesty yogurt dressing for a refreshing meal that’s perfect for meal prep. Whip it up in no time and enjoy a burst of flavor with every bite!
Prep
15
min
Cook
0
min
Serves
3
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 3🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- 1/2 large avocadooptional
- 3-4 thinly sliced Persian cucumbers
- the zest and juice of 1 large lemon
- 1/2 large red onion
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 3 cups of leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken (720 ml)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt (120 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (15 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- 4 tbsp finely chopped dill (60 ml)
- 2 tbsp fresh finely chopped dill (30 ml)
- salt and pepper
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 1 tbsp mustard (15 ml)
📦Other(1)
- 2-3 tbsp mayo (30-45 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Grab a bowl or a serving dish and add 3-4 thinly sliced Persian cucumbers.
- 2
You can use 3 cups of leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken. Finely dice it and add it to the bowl.
- 3
Finely dice 1/2 large red onion and soak in water to remove some of the excess smell, then finely chop a handful of fresh dill (about 4 tbsp finely chopped dill). Add it to the bowl with the drained onion after it's soaked for about 5 minutes.
- 4
Cube up half a large avocado (feel free to use the whole thing if you like!).
- 5
For the dressing, mix together 1/2 cup greek yogurt, 2-3 tbsp mayo, 1 tbsp mustard, the zest and juice of 1 large lemon, 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp fresh finely chopped dill, salt, and pepper. Toss it up, and enjoy.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Salt the sliced Persian cucumbers lightly and let them sit in a colander for 10 minutes before adding to the salad, then pat dry with paper towels because cucumbers are 95% water and osmosis will draw out excess liquid that would otherwise dilute the dressing and make the salad watery.technique10 minutes
- ✓Soak the diced red onion in cold water for exactly 5 minutes as instructed, but use ice water if possible because the cold temperature slows the release of lachrymatory sulfur compounds while still leaching out the harsh allyl sulfides responsible for pungent aftertaste.ingredient5 minutes
- ✓Add the cubed avocado last and fold it in gently rather than stirring vigorously because avocado's soft cellular structure breaks down easily under agitation, turning creamy cubes into mush within seconds.techniquefold, don't stir
- ✓Zest the lemon before juicing it, since the aromatic oils in the zest contain concentrated limonene that provides bright citrus flavor without the acidity, balancing the 1 tbsp mustard's sharpness in the dressing.technique
- ✓If making this ahead, keep the dressing separate and combine with the salad within 30 minutes of serving because the salt in the dressing will continue to osmotically pull water from the cucumbers and chicken, thinning the dressing by up to 20% after an hour.timing30 minutes
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
0
min
Serves
3
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
High Protein Cucumber Chicken Salad
Dive into a delightful High Protein Cucumber Chicken Salad that's as satisfying as it is nutritious! This vibrant dish combines tender grilled chicken, crisp cucumber, and zesty yogurt dressing for a refreshing meal that’s perfect for meal prep. Whip it up in no time and enjoy a burst of flavor with every bite!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 3🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- 1/2 large avocadooptional
- 3-4 thinly sliced Persian cucumbers
- the zest and juice of 1 large lemon
- 1/2 large red onion
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 3 cups of leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken (720 ml)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt (120 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (15 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- 4 tbsp finely chopped dill (60 ml)
- 2 tbsp fresh finely chopped dill (30 ml)
- salt and pepper
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 1 tbsp mustard (15 ml)
📦Other(1)
- 2-3 tbsp mayo (30-45 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Grab a bowl or a serving dish and add 3-4 thinly sliced Persian cucumbers.
- 2
You can use 3 cups of leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken. Finely dice it and add it to the bowl.
- 3
Finely dice 1/2 large red onion and soak in water to remove some of the excess smell, then finely chop a handful of fresh dill (about 4 tbsp finely chopped dill). Add it to the bowl with the drained onion after it's soaked for about 5 minutes.
- 4
Cube up half a large avocado (feel free to use the whole thing if you like!).
- 5
For the dressing, mix together 1/2 cup greek yogurt, 2-3 tbsp mayo, 1 tbsp mustard, the zest and juice of 1 large lemon, 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp fresh finely chopped dill, salt, and pepper. Toss it up, and enjoy.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Salt the sliced Persian cucumbers lightly and let them sit in a colander for 10 minutes before adding to the salad, then pat dry with paper towels because cucumbers are 95% water and osmosis will draw out excess liquid that would otherwise dilute the dressing and make the salad watery.technique10 minutes
- ✓Soak the diced red onion in cold water for exactly 5 minutes as instructed, but use ice water if possible because the cold temperature slows the release of lachrymatory sulfur compounds while still leaching out the harsh allyl sulfides responsible for pungent aftertaste.ingredient5 minutes
- ✓Add the cubed avocado last and fold it in gently rather than stirring vigorously because avocado's soft cellular structure breaks down easily under agitation, turning creamy cubes into mush within seconds.techniquefold, don't stir
- ✓Zest the lemon before juicing it, since the aromatic oils in the zest contain concentrated limonene that provides bright citrus flavor without the acidity, balancing the 1 tbsp mustard's sharpness in the dressing.technique
- ✓If making this ahead, keep the dressing separate and combine with the salad within 30 minutes of serving because the salt in the dressing will continue to osmotically pull water from the cucumbers and chicken, thinning the dressing by up to 20% after an hour.timing30 minutes