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.

Grade

Serves: 4

Cost: $

Skill Level: Easy

Time to Make: About 30 Minutes

Ingredients for Poached Chicken Salad with Garden Vegetables

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

1/2 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:

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons dry dill

1 teaspoon dry parsley

1 teaspoon dry chives

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon hot paprika (or cayenne powder or hot sauce), optional

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

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!







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