CHICKEN SHAWARMA SALAD WITH TAHINI DRESSING

Chicken Shawarma Salad is a midweek dinner that is wonderfully tasty, fresh, and sophisticated. Mint and parsley are added to the greens before being topped with crunchy cucumbers, garden-fresh tomatoes, and soft red onion slivers. Each mouthful is flavorful, crisp, and brilliant.

In this household, chicken shawarma is a staple meal that frequently makes an appearance on our dinner table.

We go to Fettoosh, one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants, when takeout is necessary. The proprietor is friendly and conversational, and she frequently welcomes us with a bone-warming winter concoction and a cool mint tea in the summer. Going to his restaurant makes me feel warm and fuzzy, which is precisely what sharing wonderful cuisine is intended to do. It's more like visiting an old friend than making a purchase.

Naturally, since it goes without saying, I also enjoy occasionally making my own shawarma. Even my pickiest friends and family members eat every last bite of this show-stopping dish for company.

Typically, I serve it with homemade pita, a cucumber and tomato salad, a hummus that is quite smooth, and sometimes a yogurt dip. Tahini dressing is plentiful and served on the side for slathering and dipping. The next day, leftovers can be easily transformed into a quick and simple lunch wrap.

I choose this chicken shawarma salad rather than the entire platter on days when I'm exceptionally healthy and/or lazy. I quickly prepare the marinade in the morning, stir it with the chicken, and let it steep in flavor in the refrigerator all day. I have a quick, wholesome, and popular paleo supper with a single 30-minute roast. even the child.

Chicken Shawarma Salad Ingredients

Chicken Shawarma

  • 2 lemons, juiced
  • ½ c. avocado oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1.5-2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs

Salad

  • ½ head romaine lettuce
  • ½ head butter lettuce
  • ½ c. fresh parsley, chopped
  • ½ c. fresh mint, chopped
  • 2 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ½ english cucumber, seeded and sliced
  • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced

Lemon Tahini Dressing

  • ½ c. tahini
  • ¼ – ½ c. water
  • ¼ c. olive oil
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • sea salt, to taste
  • cracked black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Add the lemon juice, avocado oil, salt, pepper, and spices to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Pour the marinade over the uncooked chicken thighs after placing them in a gallon-sized zipper bag. With (clean) hands, rub the marinade into the chicken. After pressing the air out of the bag, sealing it, and setting it in the refrigerator. Ideally, marinate for an overnight period. For an evening meal, I make the marinade first thing in the morning.
  2. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees when you're ready to cook. 
  3. The chicken should be taken out of the marinade and put onto a baking sheet with a rim. Any extra marinade should be applied to the chicken. Roast the chicken for 30 minutes, or until it is thoroughly done. Slice into 1/2-inch slices after allowing to cool slightly.
  4. Prepare the salad while the chicken is roasting. Combine the lettuce and herbs after chopping them. Slice the red onion, and chop the tomatoes, cucumber, and cucumber.
  5. Start by putting 14 cup of water, the tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper into a blender. (I enjoy making dressings in my Ninja blender. The individual cups are the ideal size for things that are made in tiny quantities, like salad dressing. Mix until emulsion forms. To achieve the desired consistency, add more water. I use closer to half a cup, and perhaps a little more, for salad dressing as opposed to a dipping sauce.
  6. Over the base of the herb salad, arrange the tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions. Chicken is added on top, and tahini is then added to taste. Serve right away.

Notes

I've always been a huge proponent of not starting from scratch, and this concept permeates both my kitchen and my entire life. Even though I might change and modify something to suit my preferences, tried-and-true methods work. There is no reason to alter what is effective.

I've been experimenting with several recipes for a few years in search of the ideal chicken shawarma to prepare at home because creating real middle eastern cuisine isn't exactly in my wheelhouse. I think I've tried them all by this time, and this one, which I modified from NY Time, is just delicious.

Their recipe for oven-roasted chicken shawarma is just fantastic. It has the closest flavor and is ridiculously simple to execute. Roast, mix, and marinate.

Although this dish is excellent as is, I do add a few changes. I skip the red onion and mix the salad greens with it raw instead. The parsley garnish is the same. Since garlic can be a touch overpowering in a salad, I also cut the amount in half.

I prefer to use a combination of romaine and butter lettuce for the salad foundation, along with chopped parsley and mint. It's the ideal combination of sweet, crispy, and fresh. At the market, I found some very gorgeous tomatoes, so I added those, along with a half-english cucumber and some thinly-sliced red onion.

Additional tasty salad additions? Red onions that are pickled rather than raw, chopped olives, pita chips, grilled eggplant, seasoned chickpeas, and feta cheese...You see what I mean. Make your own salad; have some fun!

You can have a fresh, delectable salad ready in only about 30 minutes by finishing the dish with acidic, vivid tahini dressing.

Comments