sophisticated barbeque chicken salad
Labor Day picnics are over and summer is nearly gone *sigh* but it’s not too late to enjoy this fresh take on a classic, simple salad. Prepare and serve chilled for a late afternoon lunch or serve it up warm for a light dinner that leaves room for dessert!
Ingredients
Barbeque Chicken (recipe below)
1-2 ears of fresh corn, shucked or 1 can of corn, drained
1 large handful cilantro, washed and chopped
4 cups arugula
4 cups romaine, washed and cut or shredded
1 cup shredded gouda cheese
1 pint fresh raspberries
¼ cup toasted sunflower seeds, shelled
2 avocados, sliced or cubed
These can be made in advance and refrigerated:
Barbeque Sauce (recipe below)
Creamy Dressing (recipe below)
Pickled Red Onions (recipe below)
Step 1: Prepare the Chicken
Barbeque Chicken
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Sea salt, pepper, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder (to taste)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 ½ cups homemade barbeque sauce
- In a bowl, combine chicken breasts, olive oil and seasonings to coat.
- Place seasoned chicken and barbeque sauce in a slow cooker on high for 3-4 hours. If you don’t have a slow cooker, use a roasting pan covered tightly with a lid or foil and roast, low and slow, 300° for 2-3 hours until tender. Remove chicken; reserving the sauce and juices.
- Let chicken cool slightly; using two forks or your fingers, shred the chicken and add back in with all the sauce.
- Transfer to an airtight container or serve warm immediately.
Step 2: Assemble the Salad
- Arrange arugula and romaine in a large, shallow salad bowl or platter.
- Arrange toppings on salad, as desired. If serving chicken warm, be sure to serve right away.
- Dress with creamy dressing and extra barbeque sauce, as desired.
Make ahead:
Creamy Dressing
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
½ cup milk (or milk alternative)
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
Sea salt to taste
Whisk all ingredients together and store in mason jar or airtight container; refrigerate.
Raspberry Barbeque Sauce
2 cups ketchup
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup raspberry jam (use low-sugar version if you like)
¼ cup molasses
2 tbsp spicy brown mustard
2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional for a smoky flavor)
1 teaspoon each: garlic powder; onion powder; ground black pepper
2 teaspoon salt
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
Pickled Red Onions
1 red onion
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon peppercorns
1 cup hot or warm water
- Cut onion in half from top to bottom; slice each side as thin as you can into little half-moon shapes. A mandoline works well for this but you can use a knife too.
- Using a mason jar or bowl, combine onions, vinegar, sugar, salt and peppercorns together; pour hot water over it.
- Let sit for one hour, then it’s ready to serve! This will keep in the fridge for a couple weeks. Tastes great on tacos too!
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