Chicken Salad

Serves 6 as the main attraction and 12 as a side.

Influenced by salad nicoise, with a few substitutes and additions, this chicken salad is bursting with flavours and looks wonderfully colourful displayed in a wide shallow salad bowl.   

SALAD

1 small whole cooked chicken, torn into strips

4 oz green beans, trimmed

Crispy heart of a cos lettuce or a whole gem, sliced

1/2 cup pitted black olives, halved

6 large tomatoes, quartered

6 sun dried tomatoes, chopped

4 hard boiled eggs, quartered

Generous bunch of fresh herbs (chives, parsley, mint, thyme, basil marjoram), finely chopped

DRESSING

4 tbsps virgin olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsps wholegrain mustard

2 tsps Dijon mustard

3 tsps fine sugar

salt and pepper

  Cook the green beans in boiling salted water for 3 minutes.  Drain, wash under cold water and pat dry. 

  Put all the other salad ingredients, except the chicken and eggs, in a large shallow salad bowl and toss.  Mix up the dressing and drizzle over, toss again.  Add the chicken and beans and then arrange the eggs on top.  Garnish with salt and pepper and a few herb leaves (basil, parsley).  

  Serve with crusty fresh bread; French stick is lovely, warm and crisp from the oven.