Citrus-Herb Chicken Paillard with White Bean & Arugula Salad

A deliberately light, restaurant-style plate: thin-pounded chicken, a quick sear, and a bean-and-greens salad dressed simply in lemon and olive oil. No stuffing, no purée, no grain bowl — just a fast, clean dinner.

Serves

4

Prep Time / Cook Time

20 minutes prep, 15 minutes cook

Citrus-Herb Chicken Paillard

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Place each chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to an even ¼- to ½-inch thickness (a paillard).
2. Rub the chicken with olive oil, lemon zest, thyme, salt, and pepper.
3. Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook the paillards 2–3 minutes per side, until golden and just cooked through — they cook quickly given the thinness.

White Bean & Arugula Salad

Ingredients

• 5 oz baby arugula
• 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard together for the vinaigrette.
2. In a large bowl, toss arugula, white beans, cherry tomatoes, and red onion with the vinaigrette.

Plating

Plate each chicken paillard alongside a generous portion of the salad. Finish with shaved Parmesan, if using, and a lemon wedge.

Chef’s Notes

Pounding the chicken thin is what makes this feel like a restaurant dish and keeps the cook time fast — a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet both work. This is an intentionally lighter, unfussy plate: a deliberate contrast to ND’s more composed dinner-party dishes, with no stuffing, purée, or grain component.

A Note on Portions

Lean, quickly-seared chicken paired with a bean-and-greens salad dressed simply in olive oil and lemon keeps this dish satisfying without richness-driven calories from butter, cream, or heavy cheese sauces.