Herbed Greek Chicken Salad

I am a sucker for salad, especially in the spring and summer when fresh veggies are so available. This salad is quick, easy, and so delicious! You can get tahini (which is sesame-seed paste) in most grocery stores – it gives the dressing an interesting twist with lots of flavor. Have the dressing made and the vegetables cut up before you cut and cook the chicken. It goes so fast!

Herbed Greek Chicken Salad

Serve with toasted pita wedges.

Cooking Light

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

Cooking spray

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes

5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, divided

1 cup plain fat-free yogurt

2 teaspoons tahini (sesame-seed paste)

1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic

8 cups chopped romaine lettuce

1 cup peeled chopped English cucumber

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

6 pitted kalamata olives, halved

1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled feta cheese

Combine oregano, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl. 

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken 

and spice mixture; sauté 2 minutes over medium-high heat, without stirring. Turn meat over with a spatula and cook another 2 minutes without stirring. Stir briefly and cook another 2 minutes until chicken is done. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon juice; stir. Remove from pan.

Combine remaining 2 teaspoons juice, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, yogurt, tahini, and garlic in a small bowl; stir well. 

Combine lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, and olives. 

Place 2 1/2 cups of lettuce mixture on each of 4 plates. Top each serving with 1/2 cup chicken mixture and 1 tablespoon cheese. Drizzle each serving with 3 tablespoons yogurt mixture.

This is wonderful in the summer when you don't want to heat up your kitchen when cooking dinner! Enjoy!