Suya-Spiced Chicken Cobb Salad

I’ve never been a fan of cold and plain salad. For me to enjoy a salad, it needs to be served closer to room temperature and pack a punch when it comes to flavour. This usually comes from having some great quality ingredients and a few additional steps that might take more time but make a huge difference.

For example, within this salad, I roast the corn on the cob and then take the kernels off once they have achieved a colour that’s just past golden brown for a wonderful chargrilled flavour. This adds a depth of flavour and great texture to the whole dish.

A few other key things for me with this salad are:

• Ensuring I use nitrite free bacon. I source this from Waitrose and feel a bit more comfortable using this.
• I make my own salad dressing and it makes all the difference! I go for a spicy-citrusy flavour with mine but you can choose to do something different. They usually take less than 5 minutes to make but it’s always worth it when you have a homemade dressing.
• For aesthetics as well as a beautiful flavour, I opt for Natoora cherry tomatoes from Waitrose (not pictured this time) because of the amazing colours! You can find something similar in a farmers market near you but it just provides something different to the traditional cherry tomatoes. Alternatively, you can just choose to use some yellow and red cherry tomatoes for a similar effect.
• I ensure my chicken is seasoned well and cooked in a way that ensures it is tender. If I opt for chicken breast, I’d usually brine this in a simple solution for 15 minutes max – or it’ll become salty. Then rinse, pat dry and cook at a high temperature for a short time in the oven. Alternatively, I use chicken thigh fillets which need no help in being tender and beautifully moist!

Overall, whether you stick to the same techniques I choose to or not, you’ll end up with an amazing salad packed with flavour that won’t bore you or feel like punishment!

Enjoy and don’t forget to share with your loved ones whilst you’re enjoying the dish!

Love,

Marbie

Suya-Spiced Chicken Cobb Salad

A flavoursome take on the traditional cobb salad – the dressing adds all the difference! The best part? You can choose to add or take out what you like!

Chicken

• 1 pack Chicken thighs or Chicken breast
• 3 tbsp Suya Spice (or mixed spice alternatively)
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp Honey
• Salt to taste

Bacon

• 6 rashers Bacon
• Drizzle of Honey

Salad

• 2 Avocados (ripe)
• 1 pack Cherry tomatoes
• 6 Eggs (boiled)
• 1 Iceberg Lettuce or Kale de-stalked
• 2-3 Corn on the Cobs (Roasted)

Roast the Chicken

1. Season the chicken with the suya spice, olive oil and honey. Add salt to taste if needed.

2. Roast the chicken following cooking instructions on the pack until cooked but tender. Leave to rest.

Roast/Grill the Bacon

1. Drizzle some honey on the bacon and roast or grill until done.

Assemble the Salad

1. Shred the Iceberg lettuce or De-stalked kale. If using the kale option, make sure you chop it finely after you've taken it off the stalk. Once done, add to a bowl.

2. Take the corn kernels off the cob using a knife and add to the bowl.

3. Quarter the cherry tomatoes and add to the bowl.

4. Toss it all together at this point, because the rest of the ingredients are delicate and need minimal tossing to keep their shape.

5. Quarter or slice the boiled eggs, slice the avocados and add to the bowl.

6. Make the dressing listed here. I used passion-fruit coulis instead of the mango coulis listed this time but either works!

7. Mix all together to allow the dressing to coat the whole salad.

8. Serve and enjoy!