It’s too hot to do much cooking, but this mixed greens egg potato and chicken salad doesn’t require too much time standing over the stove. You only have to boil the egg and the potato. You can use leftover chicken if you have it, or grab a rotisserie chicken from the market.
I call it (in my head) Fairway Market salad, because that’s where I got the idea. It’s pretty flexible, but the constants (at least for me), are the chicken, spinach (and/or mixed greens), boiled potato, and hard boiled egg.
Since it was too hot to roast a chicken, I got a rotisserie chicken and used that for my salad.
You can change it to suit your own tastes or whatever you have in the fridge. Substitute tuna instead of chicken, or use all spinach or all romaine instead of the mixed greens. Try cooked corn kernels instead of the potato. The idea is to get a mixture of flavors and colors, rather than stick rigidly to a recipe.
If you want it vegetarian, or don’t have a cooked chicken, you can leave it out. On a cooler day, make an extra chicken thigh and season it with lemon, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. I adapted the salad dressing recipe from Ina Gartner.
Spinach Egg Potato and Chicken Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
A healthy, summery salad, full of veggies. This is flexible, so add different vegetables, nuts, bacon, or cheese to suit your taste (and what's in your fridge).
Notes
If you're lazy, you can cook the potato and the egg in the same pan. Remove the egg after 10-12 minutes of simmering. Let the potato cook another 10 minutes. This way, there's only one pan to wash instead of two.
Ingredients
Salad
- One to two large handfuls mixed greens and/or spinach leaves (washed thoroughly and patted dry)
- One large egg
- One small potato
- 1/4 cucumber, sliced
- 4-5 grape tomatoes (or one small beefsteak tomato, sliced in wedges)
- 2-3 small mushrooms, sliced
- 1 carrot, cut into chunks
- 1/4 C red bell pepper
- 1/3 C shredded cooked chicken
Dressing
- 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp chopped garlic
- 2 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 T olive oil
Instructions
Salad
- Cut the potato into chunks, and add them to a small pan filled with water. Cover and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook about 20 minutes.
- While the potato is cooking, fill a small enamel pan with water and add the egg. Cover the pan and bring to a boil. Once it's boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes (use the longer time if the egg is right out of the fridge). Remove the egg, and rinse it under cold running water to stop the cooking process and make it easier to peel.
- When the potato cubes are done, strain them, and rinse under cold water (so you don't have a hot potato in your cold salad).
- Now, add the greens, cucumber, tomatoes, bacon or prosciutto, snap peas, and whatever other veggies you like, to a large bowl. Add the chicken.
Dressing
- Mix together the mustard, garlic, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- Gradually add the olive oil, stirring with a whisk or a fork so that it blends together.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss it.
Substitutions and Variations for Mixed Greens Egg Potato and Chicken Salad
- Make the dressing with lemon juice instead of vinegar
- Add some whole or sliced almonds
- Top with grated parmesan or manchego cheese
- Cook a couple of slices of bacon and crumble them over the top
- Mix in some sugar snap peas
- Add feta cheese or Monterey Jack cheese
More Main Dish Salad Recipes
Cold Leftover Steak Salad with Goat Cheese and Red Wine Vinaigrette
Don’t want to cook? You don’t have to. Leftover steak, a simple vinaigrette, and some greens equals a wonderful crispy, tangy salad that’s a full meal.
Leftover Roast Lamb Eggplant and Spinach Salad
Lamb and eggplant pair beautifully together and are a great foil for earthy spinach. This salad is topped with a garlicky aioli. Don’t worry, the aioli is easy (because you can cheat).
Blueberry Spinach Salad with Feta Cheese and Walnuts
If you prefer your entree salads to be vegetarian, try this one. Lots of crispy fresh veggies, balanced by tangy cheese, and crunchy walnuts.
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Dressing and Feta Cheese
Another great all-veggie option, this time with strawberries and balsamic vinegar. The smooth, slightly tart vinegar makes a marvelous foil for the sweet strawberries.