Ras el Hanout Grilled Chicken Salad with Sumac Dressing
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Marinating Time:
2 hrs
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Total Time
2 hrs 25 mins
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Servings
2
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Calories
519 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Mediterranean, North African
Ras el Hanout Grilled Chicken Salad with Sumac Dressing
Description
The recipe begins with a ras el hanout spice blend made by grinding a combination of seeds and ground spices, which is then mixed with Greek yogurt, salt, and lemon juice to marinate cubed chicken breast for 2 to 10 hours. This marinade imparts a complex, warm, and mildly spicy flavor to the chicken. The chicken is grilled until cooked through, producing tender, slightly charred pieces.
The salad includes a mix of salad greens topped with artichoke hearts, sliced cucumber, kalamata olives, diced tomato, crumbled feta cheese, and chopped parsley. The sumac dressing—with lemon juice, ground sumac, olive oil, ground cumin, and salt—adds a bright, citrusy, and subtly smoky quality that complements the spiced chicken and fresh vegetables.
To serve, the grilled chicken is added atop the salad greens and vegetables, then drizzled immediately with the whisked dressing to maintain its flavor and texture, as the sumac may settle. This salad combines warm, spiced protein with crunchy, cool vegetables and a distinctive, uplifting dressing suitable for a light lunch or dinner.
Using a store-bought ras el hanout is an option, with freshness favored for maximum flavor. The sumac dressing should be spooned onto the salad right after mixing to avoid settling. Extending marinating time enhances the chicken's flavor.
Ingredients
For the ras el hanout spice blend (makes about 2 tablespoons):*
- 1 teaspoon cardamom seeds (or 1 teaspoon ground cardamom)
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds (or ½ teaspoon ground coriander)
- ½ teaspoon clove or ⅜ teaspoon ground clove, whole
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (or ¾ teaspoon ground fennel seeds)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (or ¾ teaspoon ground cumin)
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (or ¾ teaspoon ground fenugreek)
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns (or 1 teaspoon ground black pepper)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the chicken:
- ½ cup Greek yogurt plain, whole milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons ras el hanout
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- 8 ounces chicken breast cut into bite-sized cubes, boneless, skinless
For the salad:
- 2 cups salad greens
- 4 artichoke hearts drained (you can use plain from a can or marinated from a jar
- ½ cucumber sliced and quartered
- 12 kalamata olives
- 1 tomato diced, large or 2 medium-sized
- 2 tablespoons parsley you need about ⅓ of a bunch of flat leaf parsley for that, finely chopped
- ¼ cup feta cheese crumbled
For the dressing:
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons sumac ground
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin ground
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the ras el hanout spice blend:
- If you're using spice seeds, grind all seeds in a spice grinder or in a mortar with a pestle, then mix in the cinnamon. If you're using ground spices, mix all spices together.
For the chicken:
- Whisk yogurt, ras el hanout, salt and lemon juice together in a bowl. Mix in the chicken, cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to 10 hours.
- Shake excess marinade off the chicken or dab the chicken lightly with a paper towel to remove excess marinade.
- Grill the chicken until its internal temperature registers 165 degrees F. (about 10 minutes.) Set aside to cool a bit.
For the salad:
- Assemble the salad: start with the salad greens, then add artichoke hearts, cucumber, olives and tomato. Sprinkle feta and parsley on top, then add the chicken.
For the dressing:
- Whisk all ingredients together, then spoon the dressing onto the salad. Serve immediately.**
Notes
- A store-bought ras el hanout spice blend can be used as a convenient substitute, but fresh spices enhance flavor.
- Whisk the sumac dressing well and spoon it onto the salad immediately to prevent the sumac from settling at the bottom.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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