CHICKEN & FREEKEH CHOPPED SALAD WITH SALSA VERDE

Chicken & freekeh chopped salad with salsa verde image

An easy, throw together salad that uses up leftover roast chicken. This wholesome dish is packed with crunchy vegetables to make up 2 of your 5-a-day

Provided by Rosie Birkett

Categories Dinner, Lunch, Main course, Supper

Time 35m

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

200g freekeh
3 tbsp olive oil
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove crushed
4 asparagus spears, chopped
juice ½ lemon
4 spring onions , chopped
2 celery sticks , chopped
½ cucumber , chopped
1 avocado cubed
1 green chilli , deseeded and finely sliced
6 radishes , halved (smaller ones left whole)
½ small pack flat-leaf parsley , chopped
½ small pack basil , chopped
½ small pack mint , chopped
150g leftover roast chicken , chopped
salsa verde (see recipe, right)
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts

Steps:

Soak the freekeh in cold water for 5 mins, then drain and rinse again under the tap. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a deep saucepan, add the bay leaf, garlic and freekeh , and toast, stirring vigorously, for 1 min or so.
Fill the pan with boiling water, add a generous pinch of salt, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 mins until tender. Add the asparagus for the final 4 mins. Drain and leave to cool. (To speed the cooling, spread out the freekeh on a baking tray. )
Once cooled, put the freekeh in a large mixing bowl. Season and combine with the remaining oil and all the other ingredients, topping with the salsa verde and toasted pine nuts to serve.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 515 calories, Fat 31 grams fat, SaturatedFat 4 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 37 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 2 grams sugar, Fiber 4 grams fiber, Protein 20 grams protein, Sodium 0.7 milligram of sodium