These creative salad plates are a “thing” of mine. They’ve made an appearance in many variations over the years as a solution for causal weeknight dinners with friends and an inviting way to use up and stretch leftovers for those who don’t like leftovers (you know who you are, I see you and I WILL convert you). And please do not restrict yourselves to either leftover or picked-up-on-the-way-home-rotisserie-chicken that I’ve suggested here. I have a salmon version coming along next week, but you really can use any protein from seared or bougie tinned tuna, to a bean concoction to roast beef.
Alongside this vague salad recipe using up my leftover roast chicken, I’m sharing some mix and match suggestions so you can build seasonally and using whatever ingredients and lonely veg you might have lurking around.
Before you start assembling, here’s my hit list for the most important elements to keep in mind when building your plates:
A few different components are really helpful. Think about a main, grain, toasted sourdough or other carb of choice, veg (leftover or fresh) and some good greens or leaves as a jumping off point.
I personally like to keep the groups of ingredients separated and built around a pile of dressed leaves. That way multiple leftovers can be used at once and it feels less like one bowl but a complete meal served on one plate. Also, people can pick and choose more or less from the bits they love.
Make sure you season every component separately. If you fill your plate with naked leaves and veg alongside some leftover cooked items from before, inevitably some will be over dressed and some underdressed and there’s a great risk of a puddle of dressing at the bottom which no one really wants. So dress your leaves, any side veg, jhooz up the leftover grains and then taste (of course) and load them up.
Think texture & colour as you build in the food groups. You want to make sure there’s a crunchy, component (can be as simple as a pile of radish or some toasted nuts), and a bright shot of colour (tomatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans). We eat with our eyes so keep it inviting.
Get creative! You can thank me later……
Chicken Salad (the leftover dream)
- 1 leftover roast chicken (I made extra especially to have an extra meal on hand)
- leftover fregola from last night’s chicken dinner (similar to this)
- 1 bunch of radishes (preferably with tops but that’s optional)
- 2 courgettes, dressed with lemon zest & juice, olive oil (or garlic oil) salt, basil & dill
- a bowl of salad leaves, I added a thinly sliced fennel bulb and dressed in a basic vinaigrette
- Gather a large serving plate ready to to be your canvas for this salad.
- I had a couple of courgettes in the fridge, so I thinly sliced them on a mandolin and placed them in a bowl with a good pinch of salt, lemon juice and zest and some garlic oil (you can use olive oil if you don’t have any garlic oil to hand). Let them sit while you get everything else ready.
- I used a bunch of radishes here for crunch – I love the peppery leaves and kept some on when cutting them into halves and quarters, but you do you!
- I dressed a bowl of leaves with a simple vinaigrette and added my last lonely fennel bulb to the leaves alongside some fresh herbs for a burst of flavour
- I cut the chicken into pieces, keeping the sliced breasts and wings seprate from the legs and thighs, but you can also shred your chicken (I often do this when I don’t have a whole chicken left).
- Before plating I added some chopped dill and basil to the courgettes.
- To plate, I piled my dressed salad leaves high up in the middle of the plate, adding 2 section each of leftover herbed lemony fregola from the night before, my chicken pieces, salted radishes and macerated dressed courgettes into sections all around the plate and bingo – we had dinner.
- Here is a list of mix and match suggestions for you so that this idea can also be a staple in your kitchens. Have fun with it! And please show me what you make xx
Protein/Main
- Roast / Rotisserie chicken of any kind
- Roast / Grilled Salmon
- Seared Tuna
- Leftover Roast Beef
- Smoked Mackerel
- Smoked Salmon (hot or cold)
- Braised beans (butter, cannellini, borlotti)
- Braised Puy Lentils
- Jammy eggs
Grains etc
- Rice
- Freekeh
- Farro
- Spelt
- Sweet potato
- Squash
- Toasted sourdough
- Orzo
- Leftover roasted root veg
- A pile of crackers or pita chips
Vegetables (leftovers or fresh)
- Leftover roasted or sautéed broccoli, cauliflower, romanesco
- Roasted peppers
- Roasted beets
- Roasted courgettes
- Grilled radicchio
- Braised chard, cavolo nero, seared hispi cabbage
- Asparagus
- Roasted artichoke hearts
- Braised fennel
- Any leftover slaw or grated carrot salad
- Tomatoes
- Bashed cucumbers
- Sugar snap peas (blanched or raw but always dressed)
Other Additional options
- Dips – hummus, labenenh etc
- Nuts (always toasted)
- Croutons
- Pickles (celery, watermelon, rhubarb)
Have you made this dish?
Let me know what you think, share your efforts and any tweaks you made to the recipe on Instagram, don’t forget to tag #BuildingFeasts or email me on info@buildingfeasts.com
