Chicken salad takes on a European flavor in this fresh summer recipe! Mediterranean chicken salad features feta cheese with tomatoes and green beans, spicy capers and aromatic oregano for a light and delicious spin on the classic lunchtime favorite.
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Why we love this recipe
How many of you out there own the SILVER PALATE COOKBOOK? (Raises hand.)
How many of you have a version that is splattered and dog-eared and slightly falling apart because you have used it so much? (Raises hand.)
If you have this book and it doesn’t look like it has been through the wars, well then, you are missing out, because this book (along with its brethren, the SILVER PALATE GOOD TIMES COOKBOOK and SILVER PALATE NEW BASICS) are packed with some of the best, most creative recipes you will find anywhere. Including one of my faves, Mediterranean chicken salad, which I’ve made my own version of about one million times.
The original recipe involves includes olives which I wish I loved but I just don’t, and I added feta because I love the salty kick that this Greek sheep’s cheese brings to this salad.
This recipe calls for poaching the chicken for the salad, but you can 100% use whatever whatever cooked chicken you have around, from a supermarket rotisserie to some leftover grilled chicken.
Let’s do this chicken salad thing!
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Feta Cheese: Yep, in my excitement I left the feta cheese out of the ingredients picture (and you can also leave it out of the recipe if you are not a feta cheese person) but we love the salty vibe we get from this crumbly Greek cheese.
- Chicken: We like chicken breasts for this recipe, but boneless chicken thighs work too! Or you can use leftover chicken, or a rotisserie chicken.
- Capers: Look for these little pickled berries next to (you guessed it!) the pickles in your grocery store.
- Cherry Tomatoes: You can swap in chopped large tomatoes during fresh tomato season if you like!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
Here’s how you make this recipe
STEP 1: Put the chicken in a pot and cover it with water. Bring it to a boil and let the chicken cook for 5 minutes. Now move the pot to a cool burner, put the lid on and let it sit for 30 minutes (the chicken will continue to cook while it sits in the water.)
STEP 2: Shred your chicken into bite-sized pieces, pop it in a large mixing bowl and mix it up with a quarter cup of really good olive oil and a teaspoon and a half of dried oregano. Cover it with a dishcloth or a plate and let it marinate for an hour (you can put it in the fridge or leave it on your counter).
PRO TIP: You can check the doneness of your chicken with an instant read thermometer…it should be at 165 degrees. 🌡️
STEP 3: Cook up some trimmed green beans in a pot of simmering water for 3 to 6 minutes, depending on how crisp you like your beans. Drain them under cold water until they cool off.
STEP 4: Add some lemon juice, a couple teaspoons of capers, some halved cherry tomatoes, those cooked green beans (or uncooked! We like our local beans that way!), a handful of crumbled feta cheese and some salt and pepper to the bowl with the marinated chicken. Mix it all up. You. Are. Done.
Recipe FAQs
The best way to check is with a meat thermometer – it should read 165 degrees.
Yep! As long as they are cooked and shredded, you use whatever part of the chicken tastes best to you.
110% yes! Or pick up a rotisserie chicken at the supermarket – that works too.
Capers are actually little baby flower buds from (you guessed it!) a caper bush. They are little and green and usually packaged in a jar filled with salty brine so they have a kind of pickle-like taste. You can usually find them near the mustard and other condiments in your supermarket.
Not only YES, but it will taste even better if you let it sit and marinate in all its delicious ingredients for a while – pop it in the fridge if you are going to do this for more than an hour or so.
Pop your question in the comments section below and I will answer pronto!
So with so many thanks over the years to the Silver Palate Cookbook…if you don’t already have it, run, don’t walk, to the nearest bookstore.
If you do, go get it off your shelf and browse through those classic pages. It’s one in a million. Do you have a favorite recipe from this cookbook? Tell me in the comments!
Equipment we used for this recipe
These are some of my favorite kitchen tools! These are Amazon affiliate links, which means I get a little something if you buy through my links at no extra cost to you. (Which helps pay for all that bacon I keep buying! 😄) And I only share things I use and love. I’m so grateful for your support!
- Measuring Cup: We love these angled cups that show the measurements on both the inside and outside of the cup.
- Measuring Spoons: These handy magnetic spoons are not on a ring, so you can just pick the one you need.
- Pyrex Mixing Bowls: These classic sturdy bowls come in all different sizes and are great for everything from mixing ingredients to being casual serving bowls.
- Cutting Board: These sturdy, dishwasher-safe cutting boards come in all different sizes.
- Tongs: We have this essential kitchen tool in all sizes from short to extra long.
- Citrus Juicer: We love this handy juicer that catches every single seed.
- Strainer: This classic strainer is just right for your beans and your favorite pasta recipe (one of ours is pasta with a creamy egg sauce!)
- Bear Paws Shredder Claws: These impressive looking claws are not only perfect shredding cooked chicken or meats, they are also dishwasher safe!
What to serve with this recipe
If you want to do a soup and salad lunch, we love a cool zucchini gazpacho in the summer and a comforting chicken noodle soup in the cooler months.
And if you are in a soup and sandwich mood, you can’t miss with a hearty Brie Roast Beef sandwich, or use up that feta cheese with a flavorful tomato sandwich.
Other chicken salad recipes we love! ❤️
We want to know what you think! 🤔
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section below the recipe.
Mediterranean Chicken Salad
Chicken salad takes on a European flavor in this fresh summer recipe! Mediterranean chicken salad features feta cheese with tomatoes and green beans, spicy capers and aromatic oregano for a light and delicious spin on the classic lunchtime favorite.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts
- 1/2 pound green beans
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
- Juice of one lemon
- 2 tablespoons drained capers
- 20 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Put the chicken in a pot and cover it with water. Bring it to a boil and let the chicken cook for 5 minutes. Now move the pot to a cool burner, put the lid on and let it sit for 30 minutes (the chicken will continue to cook while it sits in the water.) Remove the chicken and shred it into bite sized pieces.
- Combine chicken in large bowl with oil and oregano. Cover and marinate for one hour.
- Bring another pot of water to a boil. Add the green beans and simmer until the beans are done, from 3 to 6 minutes depending on how crisp you like your beans. Drain under cool running water until they are cool.
- Add the green beans to the bowl with the marinated chicken, add some lemon juice, capers, cherry tomatoes and crumbled feta cheese. Toss and season to taste with salt and pepper. You’re done!
Notes
-
- Chicken: We like chicken breasts for this recipe, but boneless chicken thighs work too! Or you can use leftover chicken, or a rotisserie chicken.
-
- Capers: Look for these little pickled berries next to (you guessed it!) the pickles in your grocery store.
-
- Cherry Tomatoes: You can swap in chopped large tomatoes during fresh tomato season if you like!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
Martha in KS says
My all-time favorite chicken recipe is Lemon Chicken from the Silver Palate cookbook.
I’m going to have to try that one!
Martha in KS says
I visited the Silver Palate shop in NYC in 1986 – right before they closed. It was about the size of my closet. I too can’t stand olives, or green peppers. Yuck to both!
Oh wow! I would have loved to have seen it. :)
David Schmidt says
The lemon chicken recipe melted many young women’s hearts on a picnic lunch. It should come with a disclaimer.
That’s the second comment on here for that lemon chicken – must try it!
Ellie says
Hi Kate,
My absolute, favorite, go-to recipe for entertaining during the late 80s/ early 90s was Silver Palate’s Chicken Marbella. Do you remember that one? Although, maybe you didn’t make it because it has olives. It also involves prunes which at first I thought was not appetizing but it did add just the right amount of sweetness. I just used to take them out before I served it. Now, off to look for my Silver Palate Cookbook.
Hi Ellie – I DO remember that one because it had such a pretty name, but you are right about the olives. I wonder if I can sub in capers? I’m going to look at my copy too. :)
mr coffee says
purchased for .32 on amazon used…
thanks!
Sharon Creech says
Thanks for the recipe and for the cookbook rec.!