Cottage Cheese Lemon Herb Chicken (Printable)
Chicken with cottage cheese, herbs, lemon and cucumber in crisp lettuce cups, light and protein-packed.
# List of ingredients:
→ Chicken & Dairy
01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded
02 - 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
→ Vegetables & Greens
03 - 1 small cucumber, finely diced
04 - 1 celery stalk, finely diced
05 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
06 - 8 large butter lettuce or romaine leaves
→ Dressing & Seasonings
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
08 - 2 teaspoons lemon zest
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
10 - 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
11 - 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
12 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
13 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
14 - ½ teaspoon garlic powder
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# Steps:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, toss together the diced chicken, cottage cheese, cucumber, celery, and green onions until evenly distributed.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley, dill, chives, olive oil, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper until smooth and well emulsified.
03 - Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and gently fold until all ingredients are evenly coated.
04 - Taste the salad and adjust with additional salt or pepper as needed.
05 - Spoon the chicken salad evenly into the butter lettuce or romaine leaves, dividing the mixture among all 8 cups.
06 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra fresh herbs if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The cottage cheese trick gives you all the creaminess of mayo without the heaviness, and each cup packs nearly seven grams of protein.
- Everything comes together in one bowl with zero cooking, which means you can have lunch on the table faster than delivery arrives.
02 -
- Do not assemble the cups more than fifteen minutes before serving or the lettuce will weep and collapse into a sad, soggy mess.
- Pat the cucumber dry with a paper towel after dicing it, because excess water is the enemy of a cohesive, creamy salad.
03 -
- Let the dressed salad sit in the fridge for ten minutes before serving because the flavors meld and the texture settles into something much more cohesive.
- Use your hands to tear the chicken instead of dicing it with a knife, since irregular shreds hold the dressing better and feel more rustic and satisfying to eat.