Green Goddess Chicken Salad

SERVES 6 · GF, DF ADAPTABLE

This salad is undeniably green from an abundance of fresh herbs and green veggies. Think of it as a healthified, updated, and upgraded chicken salad. I tend to not toss the whole salad in dressing since it will look like an indistinguishable mass of green. Instead I just coat the lettuce lightly with dressing and pass the rest on the side. Although Green Goddess dressing feels most appropriate for spring when green herbs are coming into season, I make it all year long. It also doubles as a lovely dip for crudités. For a dairy-free version, use ½ cup of silken tofu in place of the yogurt and increase the lemon juice to 3 tablespoons.

3 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (about 12 ounces each)

½ small onion, peeled

4 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon whole peppercorns

DRESSING:

½ cup unsweetened, plain, whole-milk Greek yogurt (not DF; see headnote for DF version)

1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves

2 tablespoons fresh dill

1 scallion, chopped

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon anchovy paste, or 2 anchovy fillets

½ cup unrefined, cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil

¾ teaspoon sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 head Baby Gem lettuce, leaves washed, dried, and left whole, or 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce

1 Persian cucumber, chopped

2 celery stalks, sliced

¼ cup diced red onion

¼ cup capers, drained

1. Place the chicken in a saucepan with the onion, garlic, salt, and peppercorns and add water to cover.

2. Bring to a boil over high heat, lower the heat to low, cover, and gently simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, about 25 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and allow the chicken to cool in the poaching liquid for 20 minutes.

4. Remove the skin and bones and shred the meat into large, bite-size pieces. Set aside in a large bowl.

5. Prepare the dressing: Place all the dressing ingredients, except the oil, salt, and pepper, in a blender or food processor. With the motor running, slowly pour in the olive oil. Taste for salt and pepper and add accordingly.

6. Toss the lettuce with enough dressing to coat lightly. Add the remaining salad components on top of the lettuce and serve with extra dressing on the side.

You can replace half of the chives with green onions.

TIPS: You can use a rotisserie chicken and remove skin and bones and shred the meat into large bite-size pieces. You should have 4 to 5 cups of shredded meat.

The original Green Goddess dressing that this recipe departs from contains lots of tarragon. Feel free to experiment with other different fresh green herbs, such as tarragon, cilantro, chervil, or mint.