Shredded salad with or without leftover chicken.
This one can work both ways, with or without the chicken so you can enjoy just the same if you’re a vegetarian. Some of you are probably saying that this is just a plain salad, but when you kick-in the bbq or jerk sauce to the chicken pieces, your taste buds will be asking questions… what took you so long to introduce me to this sexy number.
A great side or full course on a Monday night when you’ve got extra chicken from Sunday dinner and you’re looking for something light.
You’ll need….
1 medium Iceberg lettuce
1 medium Boston lettuce (can also use a red lead lettuce)
1 Carrot
1 English cucumber (about 6 inch piece)
1/4 of a small red onion
Your fav salad dressing
Optional
– leftover chicken (roast or bbq)
– your fav BBQ sauce (jerk would be excellent)
– salt and pepper to taste
Take the core out of the iceberg lettuce (stem and hard inner) by cutting the lettuce into 2 pieces (makes it easier to get rid of the core parts). Place on cutting board and with the use of a big sharp knife, cut into thin pieces – shred or julienne.
Place the shredded lettuce in a large salad bowl. Now wash, peel (use a potato peeler) and julienne the carrots into 2 inch lengths.
Place the julienne carrots into the salad bowl. Now it’s time to work with the Boston lettuce. Break off the leaves and rip into bite size pieces. Place the pieces into a salad spinner and run cold water over it. Boston lettuce is famous for packing sand on it’s journey to the supermarket. So we must wash really well.
After you’ve rinsed the Boston lettuce a couple times and spun it dry.. add to the salad bowl. Wash and peel the cucumber, using a potato peeler. Now slice very thin so when your fork hits the salad it can grab a bit of everything and not just a massive piece of cucumber. Do the same for the red onion. Along with making my cuts very thin, I go on an angle, so i never get a full ring. Our girls hate onions, so the less they can see it, the better the chance of them eating the salad. Plus, no one wants to bite down on a huge piece of onion.
With the lettuce (both types), red onion, carrot and cucumber in the salad bowl. Cut the tomato into wedges, get rid of the seeds, rib and stem parts. Now wash in cold water and pat dry with a paper towel, then add to the salad bowl. Toss salad now!
In a large non stick pan on medium heat, add about 2 table spoons of your favorite BBQ sauce or to make this really Caribbean-like, add jerk sauce ( I love the “Grace” brand when I’m not making it from scratch). Cut the leftover chicken into strips and add to the heated jerk sauce. Then top with about 2 more table spoons of sauce. We really want to coat all the chicken pieces. Let cook until heated through, since the chicken was already cooked from the day before.
Now it’s time plate and serve.. you’re done!
Tip 1. Add the tomato just before serving. It tends to spring juices and get the salad a bit soggy.
Tip 2. I would get guests to add their salt and pepper. If you add the salt to the entire bowl of salad, the cucumber will tend to spring juices and get the salad a bit soggy.
Tip 3. Add the chicken just before serving. you have the option of cold or hot. If you’re going with cold, you can cook and place in the fridge with the salad in a different container. Hot or warm will enhance the jerk sauce.
Tip 4. Ask guests to not add salad dressing, but get them to toss the pieces of chicken that’s coated in the jerk or bbq sauce. The entire salad will pick up on the flavors.
Tip 5. Not really a tip, but this can be served without the chicken and enjoyed by your vegetarian guests.
I never though that posting a “salad” recipe would take so much work. I really hope you give this one a shot!
Chris…
THANKS FOR THE RECIPE.
Cannot understand ‘deseeding’ tomatoes = best flavour of the fruit!
Hi Diana,
Some people have a medical condition known as diverticulitis and should avoid all types of small seeds in their diet such as tomato seeds, cucumber seeds, sesame seeds, etc. If such a medical condition does not exist, I agree with you 100%, why remove the seeds from the tomatoes. They do add great flavour.
Ralph
Chris love the salad. Can you share a receipe for Jamaican grater cake love it.
Can you do indian style lamb chops?
I always wanted to make a chicken salad but never got down to it. This one taste real good, will be making it more often.
this will be amazing for left over jerk chicken yessssssssssss another winner thks
Great idea for summer, love salads, will absolutely add this to my list. always looking for ways to use up leftovers.
Chris another flavourful recipie I love this. I can have this as a meal. I love Mariska’s sugesiton about the water cress. It will certainly add a little tang to the flarour. Grilled fish will be a great addition for persons who do not eat meat.
Great recipe.Supeb with the jerk sauce
This looks like a very easy but delicious
Salad and very colourful also. Thanks Chris.
looks sumptuous will try this weekend. Thanks Chris.
Dear Chris, Do you have any recipies for ginger beer. I love salad .
Hi Chris. Do you have a recipies for ginger beer. Thank you Chris for everthing.
my son is a vegetarian his gonna love it
Chris, can you share a video on making Jamaican Patties.
I love salads so this simple salad is great! I also share Zora’s request for Jamaican patties (a video would be nice, but just a recipe would also do.)
The version I do has baby salad leaves, smoked jerk chicken, mango, plantain, daikon, fried plantain and pomegranate! Awesome!!
Simple and delish!
Hi Chris, of course love your recipies. Do you have any recipies for Trinidad Black Cake? Also the recipie for soaking the fruits to go with the black cake.
love it Chris.. thanks again for another super super super idea
I don't care for iceburg so I use baby aragula or some water cress. It's great! Chris I love your site.
Thanks for the salad recepie I will try it
Hi chris thanks for the recepie I will be trying it with the jerk sauce by the way how is carnival in trini hope u enjoying yourself I will be thinking about all these great dishes u will be preparing.
thank you CHRIS enjoying all your recipes love all need some fish though
Your recipies are so delicious,thanks!
I will most certainly be trying this… Thanks for sharing
Thank you Chris for this chicken recipe. I think that I will try it with salt fish as well.
I make this salad all the time with left over jerk chicked and I have found that a complimentary dressing is to kick up plain Ranch dressing with a little jerk/BBQ sauce, lemon juice, cumin or all spice, a sprinkling of finely chopped fresh herbs (your fave). I even use a dash of powdered ginger sometimes. The ressing heps tie all the ingredients together.
Iceberg lettuce. Best lettuce in the whole world.
sorry, no sweet potato pudding recipe yet. maybe I can source one and share soon.
I have a recipe for a sweet potato casserole which is delicious. Would you like to have it Chris?
Email me @ [email protected]
hi June, my name is Jeanne, can I have your recipe? would love it.. thanks Jeanne
Hi June, may I please have your recipe? Sounds super!!
Thanks for the recipes Christ, would U have one for sweet potato pudding???
Have a nice Day Chris….
HI Chris,i have made that salad before,but not with the jerk sauce
i certainly will be trying that jerk sauce in the festive season
with my family and friends.Thanks for sharing.
.-= Pauline says:´s last blog ..Cooking dhal, I bet you didn’t know it was this easy! =-.
do come back and let me know their thoughts on it.
Lovely comments. Donna, your mom’s recipe sounds very interesting especially in roti. Water cress is something I grew up on with Sunday lunch but hated. Only now do I look forward to having it in salads.
Marcel, only recently I started to use almonds.. can’t believe it’s taken me this long. Thanks for sharing.
happy cooking
chris
.-= Chris De La Rosa´s last blog ..The 2009 Ancaster Home Show. =-.
hi chris,
Try this salad my mother used to make for my dad.
depending on how much people you are making for use ingredients to suit.
sliced cucumber, slice tomatoes, slice onions,slice cabbage fine(white or red) ,grate 2 lg grains garlic,lime juice to taste, black pepper to taste,salt to taste, 2 tsp olive or what ever oil you prefer,water cress chop up.
Mix all ingredients in bowl set aside served with hard boil eggs halves sprinkle with black pepper and salt and hot sada roti as we say in trinidad or pita bread as it is called overseas
I like the looks of this salad this is a great way to get my kids to eat salad there is chicken in it. Thank for the posting it.
Looks good. This site has lots of potential Obzookee.
For Vegetarians out there, you can substitute the chicken with unsalted Almonds, Brazilian Nuts, cashews or some other healthy nut.
Not Peanuts though… that would be tacky IMO
This looks great. I’m currently plagued by an excess of pulled pork (this is what happens when your spouse insists on making pulled pork for two people!) and this looks like a great way to use it up. Thanks for posting!
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