Roast chicken salad with dates and almonds

Serves 4 / Prep time: 10 minutes 

Adding crunchy almonds and sweet dates - plus a punchy dressing - helps stretch a small chicken a little bit further. If you have any leftover cooked kūmara, feel free to add that.

Chicken salad with dates and almonds Photo: Lucy Corry

Ingredients

• 1 small to medium cooked chicken (or ½ a large one)
• ¾ cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped
• ¾ cup dates, halved
• 5–6 big handfuls of baby salad leaves
• 1 handful of fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped

For the dressing:

• 1 small clove garlic, peeled and crushed to a paste with:
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp hot curry powder
• ¼ tsp honey
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Make the dressing first. Put the garlic paste, curry powder, honey and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk to combine. Add the oil and whisk again until emulsified. Set aside.

Cut the chicken into small chunks, discarding any bones (or save them for stock) or fatty pieces of skin. Put the chicken in a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the dressing.

Put the salad leaves in a serving bowl, then add the chicken, almonds and dates.

Pour over the remaining dressing and toss gently. Scatter over the coriander, and serve.