Griddled chicken, avocado and pumpernickel salad

Avocado, griddle chicken and warm pumpernickel bread make this a healthy salad as well as a filling midweek meal.

Serves 4 Hands-on time 30 min Easy

INGREDIENTS

3 tbsp olive oil

4 free-range chicken thighs, skinless and boneless, sliced

100g pumpernickel bread (if you cannot find pumpernickel bread another interesting seeded bread will do nicely.

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard Zest and juice 1½ lemons

2 tsp clear honey

1 ripe avocado, finely sliced

½ cucumber, sliced

100g radishes, finely sliced

100g watercress

METHOD

01. Rub a little oil (about ½ tbsp) over the chicken pieces, then season with salt and pepper. Heat a large griddle or frying pan over a medium-high heat, then fry the chicken pieces for 10 minutes, turning regularly so they gain colour but don’t burn (you may need to do this in batches).

02. When the chicken is cooked, set aside in a large salad bowl, brush a little oil over the pumpernickel and put on the griddle pan. Grill the bread for 5 minutes, turning once, until toasted and crunchy. Take the griddle pan off the heat, tear the bread into small pieces and add to the chicken in the bowl.

03. Mix the mustard with the lemon zest and juice and the honey, then slowly add the rest of the oil (about 2½ tbsp), whisking until emulsified. Season. Add the avocado, cucumber, radishes and watercress to the bowl, then toss with the dressing. Season to taste and serve straightaway.