Chicken Shawarma Salad
Shawarma-flavoured chicken paired with sweet black grapes, cucumbers and lettuce, dressed with a tangy tahini sauce
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts (about 150 g each)
- ½ a head of fresh iceberg lettuce chopped
- 1 Persian cucumber, slit lengthwise and sliced
- 20 black, seedless grapes, halved
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced and tossed in a little lemon juice
- 6 black or green olives, halved
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp shawarma seasoning powder
- Salt
For the shawarma seasoning
- 4 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp cloves, powdered
- 2 tbsp cinnamon, powdered
- 2 tbsp cardamom, powdered
- 4 tbsp paprika
- 1½ tbsp chilli flakes
- 2 tbsp cumin powdered
- 1 tbsp black pepper, powdered
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
For the tahini sauce
- 30 g tahini
- 2 tbsps lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 3 tbsps natural, unflavoured yoghurt (optional)
- Salt
- Water as needed
Instructions
- To make the seasoning, mix all the ground ingredients together and store in an airtight jar.
- In a bowl, mix 1 tbsp olive oil with the grated garlic, lemon juice and shawarma seasoning to make the marinade. Make 2-3 diagonal slits on each chicken breast and coat well with the marinade. Cover and rest for at least 2 hours to overnight.
- To make the tahini sauce, whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl, thin with water to the desired consistency. It should not be very runny.
- Heat the remaining oil in a pan on medium heat. Once the pan is hot, put in the chicken breasts, slit side down. Allow the chicken to char and cook for 3-4 minutes before flipping to cook the other side for 3-4 minutes more.
- Let the cooked chicken rest for 10 mins on a board or plate before slicing each breast into 5-6 thick slices.
- Toss all the other salad ingredients with some of the dressing. Divide the salad between 2 plates, Place 1 chicken breast on top of the salad on each plate, drizzle with dressing and serve.