Ever notice how salads taste SO much better when you order them at a restaurant? Well, it’s been my goal to remedy that, so I started experimenting with one of my all-time favorites, my beloved Greek.

One of the qualities that immediately separates the salads of home cooks and professional chefs is the dressing. So instead of opting for something straight from one of the bottles in my fridge, I shook up a simple lemon vinaigrette in a Mason jar and set it aside. You can totally customize it to your personal preferences (I add in a minced clove of garlic from time to time or fresh herbs), and rather than overpowering your greens, it simply enhances them.

I also gave all the ingredients a little love before throwing ’em in the bowl. I quick-pickled the red onions to take away some of that unpleasant sharpness, roasted the chickpeas for extra flavor and crunch (the leftovers make a great high-protein snack) and along with the herb-y chicken, I crisped up a bit of pancetta (everything’s better with bacon, right?) for extra flavor. Combine that with feta, grape tomatoes, Kalamata olives, your favorite greens, and a bit of creative plating (this was a particularly fun little art project), and I think you’ve got a restaurant-quality salad at home for a fraction of the price.