This poached chicken salad with garden vegetables is so fresh and healthy and is best served with our favorite homemade ranch dressing!
Although poached chicken may seem like a humble protein for salads, as Bon Appétit says, it’s a blank canvas for big flavors. We punch it up with some fresh aromatics in the poaching liquid and make a smoky, homemade ranch dressing to make everything play nice together.
Poached Chicken Salad with Garden Vegetables
This poached chicken salad with garden vegetables is so fresh and healthy and is best served with our favorite homemade ranch dressing!
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Servings: 4
Calories: 550kcal
Ingredients
Poached Chicken:
- 3 medium chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 3 garlic cloves (peeled and lightly crushed)
- Salt to taste
- Water
Salad:
- 2 small heads fresh romaine lettuce (chopped)
- 1 English cucumber (thinly sliced)
- 5 red radishes (trimmed and sliced into rounds)
- 1 avocado (peeled and thinly sliced)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes (halved)
- ½ baguette (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 1 tablespoon butter plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Dressing:
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons dry dill
- 1 teaspoon dry parsley
- 1 teaspoon dry chives
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon hot paprika (or cayenne powder or hot sauce, optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare the Dressing:
- Whisk together all of the ingredients for the ranch dressing until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference. Set aside.
Prepare the Croutons
- In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the extra virgin olive oil and the chopped baguette. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the bread is warm and toasted. Turn off the heat and transfer the toasted croutons to a bowl.
Prepare the Poached Chicken:
- Place the chicken breasts in a shallow pan (a wide sauté pan works great for this) and season the breasts with salt. Add the peppercorns, bay leaves, and thyme. Place a crushed garlic clove on top of each chicken breast. Fill the pan with water until it reaches about the halfway point of the chicken breasts.
- Bring the water to a boil and then turn the heat to medium for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and cover the pan for 20 minutes. Test the temperature after 20 minutes. Once the chicken reaches 165ºF, transfer the breasts to a cutting board and thinly slice cross-wise.
Prepare the Salad:
- Toss the romaine with the cucumber, radishes, and tomatoes. Drizzle with a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil, if desired and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
To Serve:
- Divide the salad between blows and arrange the sliced chicken, avocado, and croutons on top. Serve with the ranch dressing. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 550kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 29g | Sodium: 539mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin C: 38mg
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