Description

A refreshing and vibrant Chicken & Kumquat Salad featuring tender poached chicken, crunchy sourdough croutons, crisp Tenderstem broccoli, tangy kumquats, radishes, and a zesty dressing. Enhanced with crumbled feta, toasted almonds, and fresh chives, this salad offers a perfect balance of textures and flavors, ideal for a light lunch or dinner.

Ingredients

Scale

Protein and Vegetables

3 chicken breasts
200g Tenderstem broccoli, cut into small pieces
10 kumquats, thinly sliced and seeds removed
10 radishes, cut into quarters
1 small red onion, thinly sliced into half moons
small pack chives, snipped

Croutons

2 large slices sourdough bread, cut into cubes

Cheese and Nuts

100g feta, crumbled
50g toasted almonds with skins, roughly chopped

Dressing

4 tbsp light olive oil or groundnut oil
1 tsp golden caster sugar
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 tsp English mustard powder
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp salt

Instructions

Poach the Chicken: Bring a pan of water to a boil and add the chicken breasts. Cook them for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid. Let the chicken sit in the hot water for 30 minutes to become tender and juicy.
Prepare the Broccoli: In another pan of boiling water, cook the Tenderstem broccoli pieces for 2 minutes. Drain and immediately transfer them to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process and retain their bright color and crunch.
Make the Croutons: Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Spread the sourdough bread cubes on a baking tray and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool. These can be prepared a day ahead and stored in an airtight container.
Prepare the Dressing: Combine the light olive oil (or groundnut oil), golden caster sugar, lemon zest and juice, English mustard powder, white wine vinegar, poppy seeds, and salt in a jar with a lid. Shake well until fully mixed. This dressing can also be made a day in advance to deepen the flavors.
Assemble the Salad: In a large serving bowl, combine the sliced kumquats, blanched broccoli, quartered radishes, sliced red onion, crumbled feta, toasted almonds, and snipped chives.
Add the Chicken: Once the chicken has finished poaching, remove it from water and let it cool for about 5 minutes. Shred the chicken into chunky pieces and add them to the salad bowl.
Dress and Toss: Just before serving, pour the prepared dressing over the salad and toss everything together well to ensure every ingredient is coated and the flavors meld beautifully.

Notes

Poaching the chicken after a quick boil ensures it stays juicy and tender without drying out.
Splashing the broccoli in cold water after cooking locks in its vibrant color and crunch.
The croutons can be baked up to a day ahead and stored in an airtight container to save time.
Removing seeds from kumquats prevents bitterness and makes the slices more pleasant to eat.
The dressing benefits from resting a day ahead to develop richer flavors but can also be used immediately if needed.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Category: Salad
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Modern British

Keywords: chicken salad, kumquat salad, poached chicken, sourdough croutons, Tenderstem broccoli, feta salad, toasted almonds, healthy lunch