Salads are a great way to use up leftover servings of grilled meats and extra produce. The yogurt avocado dressing sets this grilled chicken salad apart with its bright, tangy and creamy flavors. Crunchy vegetables like cucumbers and radishes add a crisp bite paired with the soft and chewy grilled chicken. Adding fresh strawberries or blueberries changes this salad from ordinary to extraordinary.
Serve the salad with greens like arugula, spinach, Boston bibb lettuce, or romaine lettuce lightly dressed with your best quality extra virgin olive oil and flaky sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Or make into a sandwich with your favorite bread.
- 2 grilled boneless and skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cucumber
- 2 scallions
- 4-5 springs of cilantro chopped
- Avocado Yogurt dressing
- 2 large handfuls of cleaned fresh spinach
- Fresh blueberries or strawberries optional
- 1/2 Haas avocado
- 2 -3 TB plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1 small tomatillo peeled and chopped
- 1/4 of a poblano pepper -seeds and stem removed and chopped
- 1/2 of a shallot minced
- 1 garlic clove
- Juice of one lemon and zest of half a lemon
- Kosher salt to taste
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Chop the grilled chicken breasts in to bite size pieces about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. Place the chicken in a medium mixing bowl.
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Cut the half of cucumber in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Slice each of the 4 seedless sections in each half lengthwise to create 8 long cucumber wedges then cut the cucumber wedges into 1/2-inch chunks. Add the cucumbers to the mixing bowl with the chicken.
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Cut the root off the scallion and cut into thin slivers, then add to mixing bowl.
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Trim the cilantro leaves from the long stems and gather the leaves into a tight pile, holding the pile together with your non-working hand. Cut across the cilantro pile to mince the cilantro. Add cilantro to mixing bowl.
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Mix all the ingredients together until evenly combined.
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Place the minced shallot in a small bowl and add the juice of half a lemon to the bowl. Let the shallots macerate in the lemon juice for a few minutes.
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Peel the garlic clove and remove the green germ from the center. Mince the garlic then add to the lemon juice and shallots.
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Scoop out the avocado meat from the peel and add the avocado to a food processor. Then add 2 heaping tablespoons of yogurt to the avocado along with the chopped tomatillo and chopped poblano pepper, along with a pinch of Kosher salt, about 1/4 teaspoon, and lemon zest. Turn on the food processor and process the ingredients until combined.
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Add the orange juice and scallion, garlic and lemon juice mixture to the avocado mixture. Turn on the processor and blend until the dressing is smooth. Taste and correct the seasoning to suit your preference. Add the remaining lemon juice and a little salt if you think it is needed.
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Blend in the food processor until desired consistency.
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Pour half the avocado and yogurt dressing in the bowl with the grilled chicken and cucumbers. Stir until well combined. Taste the salad and add more dressing as you desire. I have used all the dressing on one occasion and three-quarters of the dressing on another. (If you have any leftover dressing, use it as a dip with chips or vegetables, that same night, as a light and easy appetizer before dinner).
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Arrange the salad on a plate with a handful of fresh spinach. Drizzle the spinach and chicken with your best quality of extra virgin olive oil and a few fresh berries.
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Serve immediately. Best eaten the day it is made.
This recipe can also be made into a composed salad with the yogurt avocado dressing served on the side. Slice the grilled chicken into strips and place them on top of crispy lettuce. Arrange with slices of avocado with blueberries and other vegetables of your choosing. Drizzle with dressing and serve.