Thursday, November 15, 2012

Hearty BBQ Chicken Salad


I am always on the lookout for main-dish salads.  We like to try and have one meal a week that is a dinner salad.  It can be challenging to find a salad that not only pleases my meat-eating husband, but also my 3 year old.  This one is a long-time favorite of the whole family!  It is packed with chicken (we use Gardein), black beans, potatoes (you heard me!), tomatoes, and corn.  The BBQ sauce on the chicken combined with the avocado and blue cheese vinaigrettes (that's right, 2 dressings) give this salad so much flavor.  There is truly something in this salad for everyone!


Ingredients (makes 2 large entree salads)

for the avocado vinaigrette
1/3 C olive oil
1/4 C rice vinegar
1 small shallot, chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp peach jam
1/2 ripe avocado
salt and pepper to taste

for the blue cheese vinaigrette
1/3 C olive oil
1/4 C rice vinegar
1 small shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tbsp peach jam
1/2 C sour cream
1/2 C blue cheese
salt and pepper to taste

for the potatoes
3/4 pound red potatoes, washed
3 Tbsp butter
1 medium shallot, minced
1 small bunch of parsley, finely chopped

for the chicken
1 package Gardein Chick'n Scallopini
your favorite BBQ sauce

for the salad
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1 head red leaf lettuce, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
6 oz black beans
1/2 C fresh or frozen corn


(Don't believe that a 3 year old eats this?  Here is how I serve it to her.  I just cut everything a little smaller and mix the dressings for her.  She LOVES it!)

Directions
  1. To make the dressings - place the ingredients into a blender and mix until smooth.  
  2. To make the potatoes - boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until fork tender.  Remove the potatoes and cut into large bite-sized pieces.  Drain the water from the pot.  Return the pot to the stove and melt the butter.  Add the shallot, parsley and potatoes.  Stir to coat evenly.  Keep warm until ready to serve.
  3. To make the chicken - cook Gardein according to package directions.  Slice into bite-sized pieces.  Place in a bowl and combine with BBQ sauce.
  4. To plate the salad - lay out the greens on a plate.  Top with corn, beans, tomatoes, chicken, and potatoes.  Drizzle both dressings on top.  Enjoy!



2 comments:

  1. WOW this looks perfect! potatoes on a salad? you sold me! i WILL be making this!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love a good salad as a main dish! This one has some great ingredients!

    ReplyDelete