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
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.
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.
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.
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/