This Mary Berry Salad Is All I Want To Eat This Spring

Homer Simpson once famously said “you don’t win friends with salad” but he notably wasn’t friends with chef and tv star Mary Berry who could make even the fussiest of eaters enjoy a big salad – and now that spring is finally here, it’s time to make the most of our fresh salad veg.

In her show ‘Mary Berry’s Absolute Favourites’, Mary shared her take on the classic Mediterranean tricolour salad which subbed out mozzarella for cucumber and added chicken.

This pesto lemon chicken salad is the perfect tangy, fresh salad to kick you into spring vibes. even if British weather doesn’t always allow for it.

Mary Berry’s spring salad recipe

To make this recipe you’ll need:

• 3 cooked chicken breasts, skinned, boned, halved horizontally and sliced into thin strips
• 2 large ripe avocados, peeled and sliced
• ½ lemon, juice only
• ½ cucumber
• 18 baby plum tomatoes, halved lengthways
• 4 tbsp fresh green basil pesto
• 6 tbsp light mayonnaise
• ½ lemon, juice only
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

And then to serve you’ll need: 

• 25g/1oz pine nuts, toasted
• micro salad
• basil leaves

How to make the salad:

• To make the dressing, put the pesto, mayonnaise and lemon juice in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper and mix to combine. Add the chicken and stir again. If possible, leave it to marinate for several hours or overnight
• Place the avocado slices in a separate bowl, pour over the lemon juice and toss so the avocado is completely coated
• Cut the cucumber in half lengthways, use a teaspoon to remove and discard the seeds and then peel using a potato peeler. Cut into crescent-shaped slices and arrange these in layers with the avocado slices, tomato halves and pesto chicken
• Season with salt and pepper. (If assembling ahead, do not add salt until just before serving)
• Scatter over the toasted pine nuts, micro salad and basil leaves to finish

The BBC also offered the following tips:

• The chicken is best mixed in the dressing a day ahead to allow the flavours to infuse, while the salad should be made fresh on the day
• Micro salad is as it sounds – mini leaves that are pretty and full of flavour. If you can’t get hold of micro salad, then a bag of mixed salad leaves or even watercress would make a good alternative
• Freeze any leftover fresh pesto and use within one month

Enjoy!