Want to know what my go-to salad is on a busy weeknight? This one. This super healthy salad and chicken recipe is SO simple and it's beyond delicious. (Tip: you can use deli sliced chicken or turkey to make this even faster, and it's still just as tasty!)

I LOVE this salad and it's versatility. It pairs well with just about anything, such as with this walnut and herb crusted chicken recipe or alongside a hearty lentil soup.
Or, if I want to make it a light meal all on its own it can definitely handle that job too. Sometimes I'll throw in some sliced cheddar cheese to turn it into a super healthy and delicious chef salad--so good. 🙂
If you're looking for other healthy salads, you can try this simple Greek salad or healthy chicken salad with avocado.
🌿 Ingredients
The ingredients in this easy salad are minimal, and all easily found any any grocery store. For produce, I use Romaine lettuce, cucumber and a little red onion.
The full list of ingredients includes:
- Romaine lettuce
- Cucumber
- Red onion
- Cooked chicken or turkey (deli-sliced meat can be used to save time!)
- Cheddar cheese (totally optional, but delicious)
- Olive oil
- Lemon
- Sea salt
See recipe card below for exact quantities.
📝 Instructions
First, go ahead and get all of the veggies washed and prepped. Chop the Romaine, peel and slice the cucumber into half or quarter moons, and thinly slice the red onion.
Pro tip: To chop the Romaine lettuce up quickly and evenly, just stack a few trimmed leaves on top of each other at a time on a cutting board. Then, using a large sharp knife, make long lengthwise slices across the leaves followed by slices along the width so that you end up with 1-inch or so squares. Repeat with the rest of the lettuce slices.
Next, chop or slice the chicken (and cheese, if you're using) and place everything in a large mixing bowl.
And lastly, drizzle everything with olive oil, squeeze some fresh lemon juice in and season with salt and pepper. Use a large wooden spoon to mix everything together and coat the ingredients with dressing--or you can use a clean hand to mix.
🔪 Equipment
The equipment required for this salad is also very minimal; just make sure to use a good, sharp knife to prep the veggies.
- Cutting board
- Chef's knife
- Mixing bowl
🍱 Storage
This salad is best freshly made, however you can meal prep the ingredients ahead of time for a quick lunch or dinner. Place the chopped lettuce, cucumbers, onion and chicken in bowl or a mason jar with a lid. In a separate smaller container with a lid, add the remaining ingredients for the dressing.
Store both up to 24 hours in advance, and then pour the dressing over your salad and shake to mix. Note: you may need to wait for the olive oil to liquefy after storing the fridge; if you put your hand around the container that should speed up the process.
🎉 Top tip
Romaine lettuce is one of the healthiest lettuces out there, and it's delicious! As a bonus, Romaine can stay fresh in the fridge for at least a week provided the leaves are dry and it was purchased fresh.
Enjoy!
You might also like
🍳 Recipe
Healthy Salad with Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 medium head Romaine lettuce
- ½ small cucumber
- ¼ small red onion
- ½ cup cooked chicken or 4 slices deli-sliced chicken or turkey
- ¼ cup chopped cheddar cheese optional
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ lemon
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
Instructions
- Prep: Wash the lettuce and cucumber, and peel the cucumber (if desired). Chop the lettuce into 1-inch squares by stacking trimmed leaves on a cutting board and cutting across the leaves in crisscrossed fashion. Slice the cucumber into half or quarter moons and thinly slice the red onion. Chop the chicken or deli slices into small squares, as well as the cheese (if using).
- Mix: Place all ingredients in step 1 into a large mixing bowl and then drizzle with olive oil and squeeze the lemon over everything. Add the sea salt and use a large wooden spoon or just your clean hand to mix everything together until the lettuce is well coated with dressing.
- Enjoy: Divide the salad among serving plates, and enjoy immediately!
Alice Kaczmarczyk
Wonderful blog!
Wallace Weavers
Wonderful stuff, just great!