Zesty Chicken Salad
Servings: 8 | Time: 35 minutes
Creating this recipe was exciting. I wanted to bring all the flavors of summer into this brunch and lunch salad. Homemade ranch seems to be my go to for summers and adding a hint of avocado brings it to the next level of flavor. I hope you enjoy it.
Directions
Zesty Chicken:
In small bowl mix together olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons pepper, and oregano. Smear over chicken to coat. Grill chicken on rack of covered grill directly over medium heat 15 to 18 minutes or until 165°F, turning once halfway through cooking time. Grill lemons, cut side down, 5 minutes or until lightly charred. Place chicken on cutting board; tent with foil; let stand 10 minutes. Slice across grain.
Avocado Ranch Dressing:
In blender combine cut-up avocado, milk, mayonnaise, shallot, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and paprika. Blend until smooth. Add additional milk, if needed, to reach desired consistency.
Salad:
In large bowl toss together arugula, parsley, radish slices, dill weed, and chives. Divide evenly among eight serving plates. Drizzle with Avocado Ranch Dressing. Top each serving with one chicken breast, one-quarter sliced avocado, and a grilled lemon half to squeeze over salad. Garnish with sunflower kernels. Makes eight servings.
Ingredients
Zesty Chicken
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 8 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
- 4 Meyer lemons, halved crosswise
Avocado Ranch Dressing
- ½ avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut up
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
Salad
- 8 cups baby arugula
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
- ½ cup multicolor radish slices
- ¼ cup fresh dill weed fronds
- ¼ cup coarsely snipped fresh chives
- 2 avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, and sliced
- ¼ cup dry-roasted sunflower kernels
