Warm Chicken Salad with Baked Sweet Potato and Feta Cheese

This warm chicken salad is all I love in a delicious salad. This wholesome dish combines succulent chicken with a medley of baked sweet potatoes, chickpeas, squash, dates, and the crowning glory – baked feta cheese.

 

 

Seasoned with aromatic Arabic 7 spice and drizzled with sweet pomegranate molasses, this salad is a celebration of warmth and sophistication.

 

Ideal for colder months or when you crave a heartier salad, this warm chicken salad brings together the comforting sweetness of baked sweet potatoes and dates with the earthiness of chickpeas and squash.

 

More winter salads like this include the lemon chicken winter salad, halloumi and baked vegetables quinoa salad, roasted cauliflower salad, and this maple butternut squash kale salad. 

 

 

Ingredients

To make this warm salad you will need:

• Chicken breast: the lean and protein-packed star of the salad, adding substance to the dish.
• Baked Sweet Potatoes: Bringing a natural sweetness and hearty texture to the salad.
• Chickpeas: Adding a satisfying crunch and plant-based protein.
• Squash: Roasted squash contributes a buttery richness to the salad.
• Onion: Caramelized onions provide depth and sweetness.
• Dates: adds bites of chewy sweetness and balances the savory elements. 
• Pumpkin seeds: adds a nice crunch to the salad. It's all about the textures!
• Feta cheese: baked feta cheese adds a creamy and indulgent touch. 
• Spices: like Arabic 7 spice, Aleppo chili flakes, garlic, onion, salt and pepper to add warmth, spice, and comfort to the dish as well as a Middle Eastern flare. 
• Honey and/or pomegranate molasses: to sweeten the dish. 
• Olive oil: to avoid burning the food.
• Sour cream, mayonnaise, and lemon juice: for a simple dressing. 
• Fresh spinach, mint, and pomegranates: as the bed of this salad with a fresh and sweet pop of juicy pomegranate!

 

 

I promise this is not difficult to make and the ingredients shouldn't be hard to find either. I always make my own Arabic 7 spice, with spices I always have on hand anyway. 

Pomegranate molasses can be hard to find, but in recent years it has been readily available at most Asian grocery stores around here. For substitutes, keep on reading. 

 

Step-by-step instructions

 

Preheat the oven to 410 ℉ (210 ℃) and prepare all the vegetables and chicken.

 

Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the prepared chicken breast and sprinkle with the spices (salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Aleppo chili flakes).

 

Turn it around to get spices on both sides and then let it sit undisturbed for 6-7 minutes (depending on the size of the chicken).

 

Then flip over and cook the other side for another 6 minutes or until the chicken breasts are 165 ℉ (74℃) (5). 

 

 

Meanwhile, on a large baking sheet, add thinly sliced sweet potatoes, half a can of drained chickpeas, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, salt and pepper, and Arabic 7 spice (1). Bake on the top rack for 20 minutes, then switch to grill mode and bake for another couple of minutes or until crisp around the edges (2). 

 

Also meanwhile, in a large baking dish, add thick slices of squash, chunks of red onion and dates, pumpkin seeds, salt and pepper, Aleppo chili flakes, olive oil, and honey. Reserve a little of the spices for the feta cheese. Mix together. 

 

Top the dish with a block of feta cheese, top with the reserved spices, a tiny drizzle of olive oil, and honey (3). Bake the dish on a lower rack in the oven for 15-20 minutes (while the sweet potatoes are on the upper rack).

 

When you take out the potatoes, move the baking dish to an upper rack and grill the feta cheese for a couple of minutes. Once browned around the edges, take it out (4).

 

For the dressing; mix together sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and salt. Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly (6). 

 

Serve the chicken, sweet potatoes, roasted vegetables, and feta cheese on a bed of fresh spinach, mint, and pomegranate arils (7). Dollop the dressing on top. 

 

 

Enjoy!

 

Substitutions & Variations

 

Here's how you can make add a little extra personal touch to the dish. There's no right or wrong answer, it's all about personal preferences.

 

• If you can't find pomegranate molasses (it's usually in all Asian or Middle Eastern grocery stores), use honey.
• Swap sweet potatoes for butternut squash or pumpkin. Even regular potatoes if you don't like the sweetness.
• Substitute feta cheese with goat cheese for a tangier flavor. I also love halloumi for this kind of recipe. You can get inspiration from my Cajun sweet potato tray bake which has halloumi.
• It doesn't have to be chicken, use whatever protein you like! Pork is a great substitute for chicken most of the time.
• Mint can be substituted for parsley. 
• Pumpkin seeds can be swapped for sunflower seeds or nuts like walnuts. 
• Adding citrus zest is a great idea to get that burst of zesty kick.
• Other spice mixes: You don't have to use Arabic 7 spice, other delicious spices for this kind of recipe include za'atar, shawarma, or even Cajun seasoning. If you feel like something entirely different, head on over to my Spice Mix archive to find your inspiration.

 

 

Equipment Needed

 

Basic kitchen supplies only.

 

A nonstick skillet for cooking the chicken (or a well-oiled pan), a baking sheet for roasting the potatoes, and an ovenproof dish for baking the feta and vegetables. Bowls, mixing utensils, and a cutting board. No funny business!

 

Storage

 

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for 3-4 days. Reheat gently in the oven, being cautious not to overheat the feta.

 

I mix all of the leftovers together apart from the spinach, mint, and pomegranate. 

 

 

Recipe FAQs

 

 

 

Top Tips

 

• • Allow the baked feta to cool slightly before placing it on the salad to prevent it from melting completely.

• • Customize the salad by adding your favorite seasonal vegetables.

• • Let the sweet potatoes and chickpeas cool a little on the baking sheet to allow them to crisp up. 

 

This dish is very versatile and you can do pretty much anything with it. It just came together one day because I craved all these ingredients, and let me tell you - it did not disappoint. 

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Did you like this recipe? Here are more Middle Eastern-inspired dishes I think you would like:

 

• Roasted cauliflower chickpea salad with baked feta cheese
• Moroccan harissa chicken and butternut squash
• Middle Eastern kofta meatballs in baharat sauce
• Orange shawarma chicken naan with broccoli

 

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Comment below or tag me @thegingerwithspice on Instagram. And don’t forget to Pin it for later! To make sure you’re never missing another recipe, please feel free to subscribe to my newsletter. 

 

As thanks, you will receive a free e-cookbook Travels Through the Seasons, with many delicious recipes from around the world that suit different seasons of the year. 

 

To keep the blog up and running this post may contain affiliate links, it will be at no extra cost to you, please read the disclosure for more information.