Soy, Tahini and Ginger Chicken Salad

A favourite recipe of mine which works great for leftovers and actually tastes better after a night in the fridge (soggy salads are no no in my book). The tahini, soy, honey, lime and ginger dressing is so moreish in this recipe and by poaching the chicken breasts first in an aromatic broth of ginger, spring onions and chicken stocks, before finishing off in a frying pan, you get lovely soft and succulent pieces of chicken which don’t dry out. You can also keep the stock and use it for a delicious chicken noodle broth another day. You can use whatever veggies you fancy in this but I went for pak choi, cucumber, radish, plenty of coriander and sugar snap peas. All topped with crunchy peanuts, chilli and lime, this is a flavour and taste sensation.

(Serves 4 - £3.53 per portion)

1. Drain a can of chickpeas and put on a lined baking tray with 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tsp garlic granules and some seasoning. Mix well and roast at 160C fan/180C for 25-20 minutes until golden and crispy. Stirring them every now and then. For the last 10 minutes of cooking, add 200g roughly chopped tenderstem broccoli and a sprinkling of sea salt flakes.
2. For the dressing add 1 tbsp grated ginger, 1 grated garlic clove, the juice and zest of a lime, 2 tbsps soy, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tsp rice wine vinegar, 1 tsp of runny honey and 2 tbsps tahini in a small bowl. Whisk well with a fork, taste for seasoning and set aside.
3. Add four chicken breasts to a large saucepan with a few slices of ginger, a handful of roughly chopped spring onions and enough chicken stock to cover the chicken. Slowly poach for 15-20 minutes (do not allow the chicken to boil or simmer or it will become very tough). Keep the leftover stock for a delicious noodle broth.
4. Sear the chicken breasts in a hot frying pan until golden and caramelised on each side and shred into pieces using two forks.
5. Add the shredded chicken to your vegetables of choice. I used some sliced radishes, chopped pak choi, spinach, a deseeded and chopped cucumber, a large handful of roughly chopped coriander, and some sliced spring onions. Pour over the dressing, add the roasted broccoli and chickpeas and mix well. This will take a few minutes.
6. Serve the salad topped with sliced red chilli, peanuts, coriander and sliced spring onions if desired.