Panzanella-ish Salad

Juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumber, big chickpeas, croutons and warm FROZN. A proper salad that actually feels like dinner.

Under 5 minMicrowaveSaladEnergy required: Barely any.

This is my very loose take on an Italian panzanella salad.

Juicy tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, big chickpeas, crunchy croutons, good olive oil and warm FROZN.

Traditional panzanella is all about tomatoes and bread soaking up a delicious dressing. This version takes the same idea but makes it into a quick, filling meal with the chicken part already done.

The best thing? No complicated dressing, no long ingredient list and barely any cooking.

Just good ingredients put together.

Ingredients

  • 2-3 FROZN chicken patties
  • Handful of cherry tomatoes or 1 large ripe tomato
  • cucumber
  • ¼ red onion
  • 3–4 tbsp Queen chickpeas or any cooked chickpeas
  • Handful of croutons
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1–2 tsp red wine vinegar or lemon juice

Method

  1. 1
    Microwave FROZN straight from frozen according to the pack instructions, until piping hot throughout.
  2. 2
    Meanwhile, roughly chop the tomatoes and cucumber.
  3. 3
    Thinly slice the red onion.
  4. 4
    Add the tomatoes, cucumber, onion and drained chickpeas to a large bowl.
  5. 5
    Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar or lemon juice.
  6. 6
    Add the croutons and mix gently so they absorb some of the tomato juices and dressing while keeping a little crunch.
  7. 7
    Add the warm FROZN patties on top.

Why this works

The best salads are all about different textures and flavours.

Juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumber, soft chickpeas, sharp red onion and croutons that soak up all the good dressing.

Then warm FROZN brings everything together and makes it feel like an actual meal.

I especially love using Queen chickpeas here because they're big, soft and buttery. But normal tinned chickpeas work perfectly too.

It's fresh, satisfying and exactly the kind of thing you can put together when you don't feel like cooking.

Why you’ll make this again

  • Ready in under 5 minutes
  • Fresh, crunchy and filling
  • No complicated dressing
  • Uses easy fridge and pantry ingredients
  • Chickpeas and FROZN make it more substantial
  • Great for quick lunches or lighter dinners

Used in this recipe

FROZN — Real Frozen Chicken

Fully cooked British chicken, ready from frozen in around three minutes. The bit of the meal that's already done.

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Founder tip

I love keeping a jar of Queen chickpeas and some croutons in the cupboard. They make even the simplest salad feel more interesting and filling. And don't skip the olive oil and vinegar here. The tomatoes release their juices into the dressing, and that's what makes the whole salad so good.