Salsa Verde Chopped Salad (40g Protein, £2 a Serving)
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If you want a salad that actually keeps you full, this salsa verde chopped salad is about to earn a permanent spot in your fridge. It packs 40g of protein per serving, costs around £2 a portion, and it’s another proud member of my ‘Salads That Last’ series, just like my Italian Chopped Salad.
Recipe Summary: Salsa Verde Chopped Salad
- ✅ Recipe Name: Salsa Verde Chopped Salad
- 🕦 Ready in: 20 mins
- 🤝 Serves: 5
- 🍴 Calories: 550 kcal
- 🧑🍳 Main ingredients: Cooked chicken breast, Giant couscous, Kale, Salsa verde dressing
- ✨ Summary: This salsa verde chopped salad is a high-protein meal prep dream with 40g protein a serve, ready in 20 minutes and just £2 a portion.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- High protein: With 40g of protein a serving, you’ll be satiated and feeling energised until dinner time.
- Budget-friendly: At roughly £2 a portion, it’s one of my favourite high-protein recipes for eating brilliantly without a scary shop.
- Made to last: Massaged kale and giant couscous stay firm and satisfying for up to 4 days, so Wednesday’s lunch tastes as good as Monday’s.
- Easy to source: My salsa verde dressing skips the tomatillos most versions rely on, using parsley, coriander and capers you can grab from any UK supermarket.
Looking for more Meal Prep Salads? Then you may also love: Italian Chopped Salad, Greek Chicken Salad, Mexican Chicken Salad.
Table of Contents
Ingredients For Salsa Verde Chopped Salad
A handful of everyday bits do all the heavy lifting in this salsa verde salad:
- Cooked chicken breast: The protein backbone that takes this from a light side to a proper meal, landing you at 40g a serving.
- Giant couscous: This is the base that makes it filling, and it firms up gorgeously once chilled so it never turns to mush.
- Kale: A hardy green that holds its texture for days, unlike delicate leaves that wilt by lunchtime.
- Salsa verde dressing: Blended parsley, coriander, capers and red wine vinegar bring a punchy, tangy hit with nothing hard to find.
See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.
Variations/ Adaptations
- Swap the protein: Not fussed about chicken? Flaked salmon or tinned tuna works a treat, or some crispy pan fried tofu would work great here.
- Change the base: Giant couscous can be swapped for orzo, quinoa, or bulgur depending on what’s in the cupboard, though I’d still cook it a touch longer so it holds firm.
- Make it veggie: Drop the chicken and double up the black beans, or crumble in some feta for a meat-free version that still holds up well in the fridge.
How to make Salsa Verde Chopped Salad
Step 1: Cook the giant couscous in salted water, then drain and rinse under cold water.
Step 2: Blend the parsley, coriander, garlic, capers, vinegar and oil into a dressing.
Step 3: Toss the drained couscous with two tablespoons of the salsa verde dressing.
Step 4: Massage the kale with a little dressing for a minute or two.
Step 5: Add the black beans, chicken, peppers, cucumber and pickled onion, then toss.
Step 6: Divide into meal prep containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Tips for the best result
- Slightly overcook the couscous and rinse it in cold water, as it firms up once chilled and won’t turn stodgy.
- The dressing doubles as a marinade for chicken or fish, so it’s worth making extra for the week.
- Massaging the kale before assembling softens the leaves and makes it lovely to eat straight from the fridge.
Leftover Storage and Reheat Instructions
Refrigerator: Store in a sealed container for up to 4 days. It actually gets better on day two once the dressing soaks in.
Freezer: I wouldn’t freeze this one. The kale, cucumber and couscous all lose their texture, so it’s best enjoyed fresh.
Reheat: No reheating needed. This salsa verde chopped salad is made to be eaten cold, straight from the container.
Salsa Verde Chopped Salad FAQs
It keeps for up to 4 days in a sealed container, and the flavour honestly deepens after a day.
Absolutely, that’s exactly what it’s built for. Divide it into containers and it’ll see you right through the working week.
You don’t need them here at all. The dressing uses parsley, coriander, capers and red wine vinegar, which are far easier to grab in the UK.
It sure is, at around 40g a serving thanks to the cooked chicken breast.
I wouldn’t, sadly. The fresh veg and couscous go soft once thawed, so treat this as a fresh-only kind of salad.
Usually it’s excess liquid from under-drained beans or wet leaves. Rinse and drain the black beans well, and pat the kale dry before you massage it.
If you tried this Salsa Verde Chopped Salad, it would mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
Salsa Verde Chopped Salad
Ingredients
- 1 bag kale, washed
- 300 g giant couscous
- 2 green peppers, thinly sliced
- 400 g black beans, rinsed
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 500 g cooked chicken breast, sliced into small chunks
- 5 tbsp pickled red onion
Salsa Verde Dressing
- 30 g fresh parsley
- 30 g fresh coriander
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 4 tbsp capers
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 4 tbsp olive oil
Method
- Cook the giant couscous in salted boiling water for the packet time plus 2 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water until cool.
- Blend all dressing ingredients in a food processor to your desired consistency, then season with salt and pepper.
- Toss the drained couscous with a couple of tablespoons of the dressing while it’s still warm.
- Add the kale and 2 tbsp of dressing to a large bowl and massage for a minute or two to soften.
- Add the couscous, green peppers, black beans, cucumber, chicken and pickled red onion, pour over the remaining dressing and toss to coat.
- Divide into meal prep containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days, then enjoy cold.
Notes
• The dressing doubles as a marinade for chicken or fish, so it’s worth making extra for the week.
• Massaging the kale before assembling softens the leaves and makes it lovely to eat straight from the fridge.
Nutrition
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