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.
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. Ready to shake up your summer chicken salad? Let’s make it!
The original recipe involves poaching a chicken breast to use in the recipe, and includes olives which I wish I loved but I just don’t. So my version uses no olives (but lots of capers!) and a grilled chicken breast to get some of that great summer grilling taste in there. I also added a little feta cheese, but the basic approach of swapping out the classic mayo and and celery for some olive oil and crunchy green beans and merry merry tomatoes is completely based on the Silver Palate version.
As with the original recipe, my version involves marinating the chicken in some really good olive oil with oregano for a while, and then simply mixing it up with the rest of the ingredients. And since we are smack in the middle of fresh green bean and tomato season, you KNOW this is going to taste incredible.
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 delicious spin on the classic lunchtime favorite.Click To TweetSo 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!
Mediterranean Chicken Salad
Yield: 4 servings
Category: Salad
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
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.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, grilled and torn into bite sized pieces
- 1/4 cup really good olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
- Juice of one lemon
- 2 tablespoons drained capers
- 20 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 pound cooked green beans
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Combine chicken in large bowl with oil and oregano. Cover and marinate for one hour.
- Add remaining ingredients, toss and season to taste with salt and pepper
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
Updated from a previously published Framed Cooks post!
Thanks for the recipe and for the cookbook rec.!
purchased for .32 on amazon used…
thanks!
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. 🙂
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!
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. 🙂
My all-time favorite chicken recipe is Lemon Chicken from the Silver Palate cookbook.
I’m going to have to try that one!