By combining a few healthy seasonings, you can poach chicken for a beautiful golden color. Toss that with some chickpeas and broccoli for an easy weeknight salad.
Jump to RecipeFor the new year, it’s great to start off on a healthy note. For me, that usually means salad, but I need something more to it than a plain salad. Adding golden chicken cooked in turmeric and other beneficial seasonings helps make the salad more filling. Throw in a can of chickpeas and you’ve got a healthy meal.
My favorite lettuce for a salad is a mixture of baby spinach and arugula. I can buy a package of it already mixed at the store. You can use whatever lettuce you prefer, but I suggest a dark leaf since it’s healthier and has the right flavor and consistency for the salad.

Golden Chicken and Chickpea Salad Step by Step
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond milk
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 lb chicken breast, boneless, skinless
- 15 oz chickpeas, drained
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 3 oz spinach and arugula
- 2 cups broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tbsp cilantro

Preparation
Whisk the milk, curry powder, turmeric, garlic, and 1 tsp salt in a large saucepan over medium heat until it begins to simmer, stirring occasionally.

Add the chicken and chickpeas.

Cook, covered, turning occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165F, about 20 minutes.
Transfer the chicken and chickpeas to a plate then pour the packing liquid through a mesh strainer into a mixing bowl.

Transfer 1/2 cup of the liquid to a mini food processor or blender (such as the Magic Bullet blender).
Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and remaining 1/2 tsp salt and process until smooth.

Shred the chicken and add the chicken, chickpeas, spinach and arugula, broccoli, and cilantro to a large bowl.

Drizzle with the dressing and serve immediately.

Golden Chicken and Chickpea Salad Leftovers
Storage: Store leftover golden chicken and chickpea salad in the refrigerator. I suggest keeping the dressing separate from the rest of the salad so it doesn’t leave everything soggy.

Recipe
Originally Published On: January 3, 2022
Last Updated On: October 24, 2023

Golden Chicken & Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond milk
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 lb chicken breast (boneless, skinless)
- 15 oz chickpeas (drained)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 3 oz spinach and arugula
- 2 cups broccoli (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 1 tbsp cilantro
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Whisk the milk, curry powder, turmeric, garlic, and 1 tsp salt in a large saucepan over medium heat until it begins to simmer, stirring occasionally
- Add the chicken and chickpeas
- Cook, covered, turning occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165F, about 20 minutes
- Transfer the chicken and chickpeas to a plate then pour the packing liquid through a mesh strainer into a mixing bowl
- Transfer 1/2 cup of the liquid to a mini food processor or blender (such as the Magic Bullet blender)
- Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and remaining 1/2 tsp salt and process until smooth
- Shred the chicken and add the chicken, chickpeas, spinach and arugula, broccoli, and cilantro to a large bowl
- Drizzle with the dressing and serve immediately
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Golden Chicken and Chickpea Salad FAQs
No, you can use any type of milk. We eat dairy-free as much as possible so use almond milk in all of our recipes.
No, they are not the same thing. Both are made from red grapes, but the vinegar is made from grapes that have had time to ferment while the cooking wine is made from fresh grapes.
More Info: https://www.livestrong.com/article/545780-can-you-use-red-wine-vinegar-instead-of-red-wine-in-cooking-a-roast/
After all the unhealthy food from December, I am looking at more clean eating this month. This salad dish looks so attractive and love how wholesome it is
My mouth is watering! I can’t wait to make this one for the family!
Not only do those spices give this dish a beautiful golden color but they give them a warm and delicious flavor too. What a perfect recipe to reset with for the New Year!
This looks so good! Love the idea of the golden element, both pretty and great for health.
omg this looks so so good! I can’t wait to make your salad, it is healthy and very easy to make.
Well I am a vegan, but my brother is fond of chicken a lot. Sending this recipe to him.
I love chickpeas! They can be added to literally anything! This sounds like a yummy recipe.
That chicken looks so colorful – I do want to start eating more chickpeas. This salad sounds very hearty, we will have to try it at our home.
This recipe looks so good .I love chickpeas and chicken. I can’t wait to eat this salad!
This is delicious…I love salads and would have them daily if I could, so good! I can’t wait to try out your recipe, can’t can’t wait…
A must-add recipe in clean eating. Healthy yet tasty. I am going to try this.
Oh, yeah. That’s a salad! I love those tangy, zesty flavors.
I doubt if there will be leftovers when I make this. It looks so good. too good and I think everyone will just eat all for dinner. Thanks for sharing
This looks so healthy and easy to make. I would love to add it to my recipe list. I would give this a 10 out of 10 ratings.
This looks like a tasty combination! We are vegetarians but it would make a perfect dish with meatless chicken alternative. The yellow sauce sounds so delicious!
This recipe is a must-have this summer. I love adding chickpeas to my salads.
Sounds like a delish summer salad. We have been doing tons of salads lately !
What a coincidence. I’ve been meaning to increase the amount of tumeric in my diet. This sounds like a delicious and light dish. Perfect for lunch or dinner.
I love chickpeas! This looks so good! Thank you for sharing!
I am not a salad person but honestly cant say no to this golden chicken and chickpeas salad. The recipe is quite easy and simply to create. Would love to try it out
This sounds delicious and a great way to get protein. I’ll have to try it!
I don’t think I’ve tried a chicken and chickpea salad before but that is looking delicious and would definitely give this a try sometime soon.
This is surely a good and healthy dish for anyone. Thanks for sharing the recipe!