Poached Chicken Salad with Buttermilk Vinaigrette
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Salad, Complete Meals, Dinner, Brunch
Cuisine: Summer, Californian, Modern American
Yield: 4 entree servings
Ingredients
  • For Chicken:
  • 1 ½ - 2 lbs (4 pcs) boneless, skinless Smart Chicken® breasts
  • 1 medium shallot, peeled and quartered
  • 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed but still intact
  • ½ cup lightly packed dill sprigs
  • 2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1 tsp whole peppercorns
  • 64 fl oz (4 cups) cold water
  • For Vinaigrette:
  • ¼ cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 2 Tbsp fresh dill, coarsely chopped
  • 2 Tbsp fresh parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 120 ml (½ cup) buttermilk
  • 36g (2 Tbsp) plain Greek-style yogurt or sour cream
  • 30 ml (2 Tbsp) champagne vinegar
  • 30 ml (2 Tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 small garlic clove, grated
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • Several grinds black pepper
  • For Assembly:
  • 1 head romaine lettuce¹ (about 1 ½ lbs), torn into bite-size pieces
  • 12 oz cherry tomatoes, halved (or wedges of heirloom tomato)
  • ¼ cup toasted walnut pieces
  • 1 medium Hass avocado² (about 7 ½ oz), cut into slices or 1-inch dice
  • 1 Tbsp finely chopped chives
Procedure
  1. Poach chicken: Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan and set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low to maintain just a hint of bubbling in the poaching liquid, and cook for 10-12 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through.
  2. While chicken is poaching, make the vinaigrette: Combine all ingredients for vinaigrette in a blender or food processor and pulse or blend until smooth. If you’d prefer to do this by hand, mince the mint, parsley, and dill, and whisk all ingredients together in a bowl or shake in a glass jar until combined.
  3. When chicken is cooked, remove from poaching liquid and let cool on a cutting board for several minutes. Cut chicken against the grain into ¼ inch-thick slices.
  4. Assemble salad: Combine lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, walnuts, and chives in a large bowl, and drizzle with two thirds of the vinaigrette. Toss gently to combine, and transfer to a serving platter or divide among plates. Fan chicken over top of salad, drizzle with remaining vinaigrette, and serve.
Notes
¹ Feel free to substitute different lettuce here if you don't love romaine. I sometimes like to mix it up with a combination of sturdy, slightly bitter treviso or endive and sweet, tender butter lettuce.


² When selecting the perfect avocado for slicing or dicing, I look for one that’s still somewhat firm when you press it. If the little stem is still attached to the top, pop it off and look at the color underneath - if it’s yellow or pale yellowish-green, it’s the perfect consistency for this. Dark green means the avocado isn’t ripe yet, and a brownish hue means it’s going to be a bit soft and mushy for cutting (but it would be terrific in guacamole or spread on toast).
Recipe by Good Health Gourmet at https://goodhealthgourmet.com/poached-chicken-salad-buttermilk-vinaigrette/