chicken panzanella salad / chickpea croutons / lemon-herb dressing

Contents of your meal kit:

chicken
chickpea croutons
tomatoes
cucumber
bell pepper
herb bundle (parsley & basil)
lemon-herb vinaigrette base
sliced red onion
kalamata olives
arugula
feta cheese

Cookware needed: baking sheet, salad bowl, skillet

Finishing steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 425. Cut chickpea croutons into 1-inch cubes and toss with olive oil and salt & pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast 20 minutes in preheated oven. Turn the broiler on during the last 1-2 minutes of cooking to add some extra crunch. Continue with next steps while croutons are baking
  2. Cut tomatoes, cucumber, and bell pepper into bite-sized chunks. Pull herbs from stems, and roughly chop or tear.
  3. Pour lemon-herb vinaigrette base into the bottom of a large salad bowl.   Add an equal amount of oil and whisk or mix with a fork to combine. Place the vegetables you just cut, the herbs, sliced onion and olives into the bowl with the dressing. Toss to combine and season to taste with salt & pepper.
  4. Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet over med-high heat. Season both sides of chicken with salt & pepper then cook for about 5 minutes per side or until cooked through. Let cool for a minute before chopping into chunks and adding to the salad bowl.
  5. When the chickpea croutons are done, let cool for a minute or so, then add to the salad bowl. Toss gently to combine, before adding the greens and tossing one last time.
  6. Divide between serving bowls, and crumble some feta over the top of each serving. Enjoy!

Notes: Italian, from pane ‘bread’ + zanella ‘small basket’. The “traditional” panzanella is a type of Tuscan salad made with chopped salad vegetables, and stale bread soaked in dressing.