Chicken and Chickpea Salad with Feta

This is the salad I make when I have half a roast chicken or a steamed breast sitting in the fridge and not much time. Chickpeas do most of the heavy lifting here. They are a pantry staple that keeps for years unopened, and once drained they add body, a little nuttiness and plenty of fibre without any cooking. Keep the chickpeas whole rather than mashing them, so each forkful has some bite against the soft shreds of chicken.

The dressing is deliberately simple: olive oil, red wine vinegar and a pinch of oregano or parsley. Vinegar is one of those ingredients that tastes sharper when it is first whisked and mellows as it sits, so give the dressing a minute before you pour it. Toss the salad gently and only at the last moment. Cucumber and tomato release water as they sit, and if you dress the bowl an hour ahead you will end up with a pool of pink liquid at the bottom instead of a glossy salad.

Feta is salty, so go easy on any extra seasoning until you have tasted the finished bowl. Reduced-fat feta crumbles well and still gives you that creamy, briny hit. If you have a little time, rinse the red onion under cold water for a minute or two to soften its bite before chopping it finely.

For leftovers, the chicken and chickpea mixture keeps for two days in a sealed container in the fridge. Keep the greens separate and add them only when you serve. It also works as a filling for a warm pita the next day. If you want something to put alongside it, a bowl of roast vegetables or a plate of Cumin roast squash and chicken salad makes a good lunch spread for a crowd. For a lighter lunch, Lemon tuna and chickpea lunch salad follows the same idea with a different protein.