Not your typical lunchtime sandwich! This chicken pita sandwich is topped off with a fresh, flavorful chimichurri dressing.
Sandwiches take me right back to my childhood. Growing up in Vancouver, sunny days were not as plentiful as we may have wished. When the sun broke through the clouds, Vancouverites streamed outdoors like ants headed towards the first summer picnic. On days when the sun glistened off the whitecaps of the Pacific Ocean, my mum pulled out the picnic gear and all of us set to work pulling together an oceanside feast. Sandwiches (chicken, salmon or turkey), hard-boiled eggs with packages of salt and pepper, sweet pickles, dill pickles, slices of Havarti cheese, carrot sticks and my mum's chocolate chip cookies. It was the same every time. We would have been disappointed if it wasn’t. There is comfort in tradition.
If the day was a little stormy and cloudy, we would hunker down in the car to eat our picnic, watching the Great Blue Herons (or GBHs as we call them in my family) standing stoically against the waves and the wind. As soon as the weather cleared, my dad and I scrambled for our baseball gloves and ball, and played catch on the grassy patch separating the parking lot and beach while my mum watched us from her perch on a nearby log. Years later, when my husband and I drove across the country from New York to Utah, we broke up the long days in the car by playing catch at the rest stops after eating our Subway sandwiches. I was always reminded of those days at the beach with my parents.
While we never used pita bread for our beachside picnics when I was young, I think this sandwich would have fit nicely into the mix. The leftover rotisserie chicken from the previous night's dinner was sitting in the fridge when it was time to make lunch. I chopped what was left of it and mixed the chicken with sliced hearts of palm (sold in cans in the vegetable aisle), chunks of cucumber and slightly spicy and garlicky Chimichurri dressing.
All I needed was a GBH sighting and one of my mum's chocolate chip cookies to complete the scene.
The recipe:
The dressing:
In the bowl of a food processor or a blender, combine pulse parsley, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper and chile flakes. Pulse until combined, but not smooth.
With the motor running, slowly pour in the olive oil.
The sandwich:
In a medium bowl, stir together cucumber, hearts of palm and chicken.
Gently stir in the dressing.
Scoop the mixture into the four pita halves. Serve.
Printable Recipe
Chimichurri Chicken Pita Sandwich
Ingredients
The Dressing:
- ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ tablespoon kosher salt
- ¼ tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ tablespoon red chile flakes
- 1 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
The Sandwich:
- 1 cup roughly chopped English cucumber
- 1 cup halved and sliced hearts of palm
- 1 cup chopped cooked chicken breast
- 2 whole wheat pitas cut in half
Instructions
The Dressing:
- In the bowl of a food processor or a blender, combine pulse parsley, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper and chile flakes. Pulse until combined, but not smooth.
- With the motor running, slowly pour in the olive oil.
The Sandwich:
- In a medium bowl, stir together cucumber, hearts of palm and chicken.
- Gently stir in the dressing.
- Scoop the mixture into the four pita halves. Serve.
Nutrition
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
love cooking
Sometimes, sandwiches are too dry. This sandwich with dressing seems really good for me, and the sauce added extra flavor. I love it. 🙂
Deborah
I love hearts of palm - and I know I'd love this sandwich!
Jeanette
My kids love chimichurri sauce on just about anything - your sandwich looks yum!
Marla
I have never actually made a chimichurri sauce & always mean to. Love everything about this healthy pita sandwich!
Joshua @ Beyond The Peel
I LOVE Chimichurri! I travelled around southern Argentina a few years back and could not get enough of that delicious sauce. We make it regularly now. Thanks for the great idea to put it in a pita with chicken. Sounds yum!
Cindy @ Once Upon a Loaf
This looks fantastic - and with hearts of palm. You're feeding my spring fever, as this definitely says "lunch al fresco." I'll make this for lunch one day next week!
Jersey girl cooks
This is my kind of sandwich. I love to incorporate leftovers into lunch.
Deena @ stay at home FOODIE
Love this sandwich, I'm obsessed with hearts of palm and never thought of using them in a pita. Yum!
Mom Foodie
Looks yummy. I never think of hearts of palm.
Paula- bell'alimento
Dara that looks amazing. I adore chimichurri (plus it's totally fun to say ; )
Maureen
Eating healthy is beautifully done at your house 🙂
Becky at VintageMixer
I must say I have never cooked with hearts of palm! I will have to check it out now!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
You would love them, Becky!
Elena
You painted your family picnics with such detail and love. Memories are what we have to hold on to and cherish.
Love your recipes too 🙂
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
You said, Elena! I hope my kids will look back at their childhood memories with the same fondness.
Rachel
I'll be printing this recipe and search for hearts of palm. I've never had them but I've heard of them. Thanks! The herons sound so beautiful 🙂
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Thanks, Rachel. I typically find hearts of palm right beside the canned artichokes in our supermarket.
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc.
This is right up my alley! You make everything look so good!!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Thanks so much, Alison. These colorful ingredients made it easy!
Brian @ A Thought For Food
In my meat eating days, I would have been all over this. Love the flavors!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Thanks, Brian. Cannellini beans would be a great substitute for the chicken in this one.
Maria
Great lunch and I love your little whisk!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Thanks, Maria. This was great for lunch the other day and held up really well for leftovers the next day.
KalynsKitchen
I love the idea of adding hearts of palm to this; one of my very favorite ingredients!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
You have so many great recipes on your site using hearts of palm. I'm looking forward to adding more in the future.
Jen at The Three Little Piglets
You have such a way of making eating look incredibly delicious! I love that!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Aww, thanks so much, Jen. That's really sweet.
Emilie @ Emilie's Enjoyables
love that cute whisk with the heart on top!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Thanks, Emilie. It makes me smile every time I use it.