Poached Chicken Tofu Salad Plate
Cooking Time:
20 mins
Level:
Easy
A light summer plate with pale green salad, poached chicken, chilled tofu, and sourdough with hummus — simple, balanced, and easy to put together.
Ingredients
Colorful Vegetables
- 1 small lettuce, or 2 large handfuls of salad leaves
- 1/3 cucumber, sliced
- 1 celery stick, thinly sliced
- 6–8 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 small carrot, grated or thinly sliced
- 3–4 tablespoons sweetcorn
Protein
- 1 large chicken breast, or 2 small chicken breasts
- 200g firm tofu
Carb
- 2 slices sourdough bread
- 2–3 tablespoons hummus
Simple Dressing & Topping
- 1½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1–2 tablespoons chopped zha cai
- 1 spring onion, thinly sliced, optional
Build Your Pale Green Salad
For this plate, I used lettuce, cucumber, celery, sweetcorn, cherry tomatoes, and carrot.
The main colour is pale green, with a little yellow, red, and orange to make the plate brighter.
For the dressing, mix soy sauce, sesame oil, and a little vinegar. Toss the salad gently so the vegetables are lightly coated. On hot days, I like to prepare the salad first and keep it in the fridge while I prepare the rest of the plate.
Prepare Your Protein
For the protein, I used poached chicken breast and chilled tofu.
Poach one large chicken breast, or two small chicken breasts, in a little water with a pinch of salt and a small amount of oil. Simmer gently for about 10–15 minutes, turning once, until cooked through.
If I am already cooking chicken breast, I often cook two or three pieces at the same time. I use what I need for this plate, then cool and store the rest in the fridge for another meal within 24 hours.
For the tofu, add a small spoonful of chopped zha cai on top, then drizzle with soy sauce, sesame oil, and a little vinegar. A few slices of spring onion can be added for colour.
Add Your Carb
For the carb, I chose sourdough bread.
Spread a layer of hummus on the bread. It makes the bread softer and less dry, and it adds a gentle creamy texture to the plate.
You can also use another kind of bread if that is what you have at home, especially wholemeal or grain-based bread.
Assemble Your Plate
Arrange the plate with:
1/2 colorful vegetables
1/4 protein
1/4 carb
For this plate, the pale green salad takes up half of the plate. The chicken breast and tofu share the protein section. The sourdough with hummus completes the carb section.
The goal is not perfection. The goal is to build a plate that feels balanced, colourful, and easy to enjoy.
Angelina’s Kitchen Notes
Personally, I like serving the tofu in a small bowl, so it can sit in the sauce — soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil — and absorb more flavour. Sometimes I place the small bowl on the plate, and sometimes I serve it on the side.
If there is cooking liquid left from poaching the chicken, you can keep it as a light broth. Some people like dipping bread into broth, so it can be served in a small bowl, or saved for the next day.
This plate reminds me that healthy eating does not always need to be complicated. A simple salad, gentle protein, and a piece of bread can already make a good summer meal.