High-protein lemon chicken breast on lentil salad

High-protein lemon chicken breast on lentil salad: juicy chicken breast with lemon, thyme, beluga lentils, red onion and balsamic vinegar as a light main course.

At a glance

• Serves 2
• Prep time: 10 min
• Cooking time: 15 min
• Total time: 25 min
• Calories: 460 kcal per serving
• Protein: 55 g
• Fat: 12 g
• Carbs: 28 g

Ingredients

• 1 large organic chicken breast fillet
• 1 tin of small Puy-style lentils or beluga lentils
• 1 small red onion
• 1 spring onion
• 1/2 unwaxed lemon
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1 tbsp dark balsamic vinegar
• Salt
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme
• Pepper

Method

You’ll need: frying pan · chopping board · knife · mixing bowl · sieve

1. Tip the lentils into a sieve, rinse with cold water and drain well. Mix in a bowl with the red onion, spring onion, olive oil, dark balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and leave to stand briefly.
2. Gently flatten the chicken breast so it cooks evenly. Season with salt and finely grate the yellow zest of the unwaxed lemon over it.
3. Heat a heavy frying pan and melt the ghee. Add the chicken breast with the fresh thyme and fry over a medium to high heat until golden brown.
4. Towards the end, add the lemon juice to the pan. Spoon the pan juices over the chicken several times until the meat is cooked through.
5. Leave the chicken breast to rest briefly and cut it across into thick slices.
6. Spoon the lentil salad onto plates and arrange the warm lemon chicken on top. Pour over the juices from the pan.

Good to know

When it needs to be quick but should still taste like a proper meal, this dish is a good place to land. Warm lemon chicken on cool lentil salad has exactly that bright, fresh contrast.

Swaps

Chicken breast fillet → turkey breast fillet (similar protein content, usually even a little leaner) Tinned Puy-style or beluga lentils → home-cooked lentils (fewer additives, often better flavour and bite) Ghee → grass-fed butter or more olive oil (depending on the flavour you want) Dark balsamic vinegar → apple cider vinegar or lemon juice (fresher acidity, often less sugar than balsamic)

Allergens

The recipe is free from gluten and nuts but contains milk (ghee). Onions and lentils can cause wind with a sensitive gut, and in pregnancy and for children it's important that the chicken is cooked right through.

Frequently asked questions

What nutrients are in beluga or Puy-style lentils?

Both provide fibre, plant protein and complex carbohydrates, plus folate, iron, magnesium and potassium, among other things.

What does the lemon bring to this dish besides flavour?

Lemon provides vitamin C, and the zest contains essential oils that shape the flavour a lot. The amount in the recipe matters more for cooking than for nutrition.

Do red onion and spring onion agree with everyone?

That's very individual. Both contain FODMAPs and sulphur compounds, which can cause wind or a feeling of pressure in the stomach in sensitive people.

Is olive oil the best choice of fat here?

Olive oil mainly provides monounsaturated fats and goes really well with the lentil salad. It's a solid choice for lots of cold uses.

Does thyme play a relevant role nutritionally?

Thyme contains essential oils and small amounts of plant compounds. In the amount used here, its contribution is mainly about flavour.