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Fast and tasty
Salad with chicken beans and crackers

Chicken, Bean, and Crouton Salad

The tastiest salad from simple ingredients — perfect for when guests show up at your door! This chicken, bean, and crouton salad takes about 20 minutes to make. You can serve it right away, no chilling needed. It's the ideal choice when unexpected company is already sitting down at the table. It's packed with protein, so you could make it for family dinner any night of the week!

Pearl

Recipe author

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Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Chicken

200

Canned beans

Lettuce leaves (or a little more to taste)

120

Hard cheese

White bread

Bell pepper

Onion

Vegetable oil

Dijon mustard

Mayonnaise

Garlic powder

Dried oregano

Salt

Ground black pepper

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 27 % 8 g

Fats 43 % 13 g

Carbohydrates 30 % 9 g

185 kcal

GI: 22 / 56 / 22

Cooking method

Cooking time: 20 min

Step 1:

How do you make a chicken, bean, and crouton salad? Gather all the ingredients from the list. Use canned beans so the salad comes together quickly. Turkey works in place of chicken. Rinse and dry the lettuce, bell pepper, and peeled onion.
Step 2:

Cut the white bread or baguette into small cubes.
Step 3:

Toast the bread in a hot, dry skillet over medium-high heat until golden on all sides. Stir constantly so the croutons don't burn. Take the skillet off the heat and toss the croutons with the vegetable oil, garlic powder, a pinch of salt, and dried oregano. Stir so the seasonings and salt coat the bread evenly. Leave the croutons in the hot skillet for a bit so they crisp up.
Step 4:

Separate the chicken from the bone and cut it into cubes. I used chicken breast for the salad. Add a little vegetable oil to the skillet and fry the chicken over high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring. Add a pinch of your favorite spices as it cooks, if you like. Take the skillet off the heat and lightly salt the chicken.
Step 5:

Line the bottom of a wide, flat plate with the lettuce, torn into pieces. Which greens are best? Use a mix of leafy greens — leaf lettuce, romaine, mâche, iceberg, or others. All of these pair beautifully with the rest of the salad.
Step 6:

Spread the fried chicken over the greens in an even, thin layer.
Step 7:

Drain the beans in a colander, rinse under cold running water, then shake the colander to get rid of any excess water. Add the beans on top of the lettuce and chicken.
Step 8:

Next up is the onion. I used red onion — it looks gorgeous in the finished dish and has a mild flavor that's perfect for salads. Slice it into thin slivers or half-rings. Add it as the next layer.
Step 9:

Cut the bell pepper in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and core. Slice it into thin strips or half-rings, whichever you prefer.
Step 10:

After the pepper, add a layer of grated cheese and croutons.
Step 11:

Dollop on the mayonnaise and mustard. Done — ready to serve!
Step 12:

Toss the salad well right before eating.

This salad is a breeze to make — anyone can pull it off. It's rich in protein thanks to the chicken and beans, and all the components come together for a truly one-of-a-kind flavor. I recommend tossing it just before serving so the croutons stay crisp. Adjust the mayonnaise and mustard to your taste. I usually go light on mayo in salads like this, so this time I used a little under 2 tablespoons. If you have homemade mayonnaise, by all means use it — the salad will taste better and be far healthier! Enjoy!
Wash the chicken and be sure to pat it dry with a paper towel, or the extra moisture will keep it from searing and it'll steam instead.
You can swap the chicken for turkey or any other meat you like. Just keep in mind the cooking time and calorie count will change.
Homemade mayonnaise is the way to go — tastier and healthier. Check out some great homemade mayo recipes here. You can also dress the salad with sour cream or plain yogurt instead of mayo, either on their own or mixed with mayo in whatever ratio you like — that'll cut down on calories.