Chopped Salad with Lemon Chipotle Dressing

chopped saladWhile we endure one last (hopefully) chilly winterish night here in North Carolina, I turned to the summertime chapter of Weeknight Fresh and Fast, by Kristine Kidd and put together this tasty main course salad.  Using cherry tomatoes instead of garden fresh heirlooms was my only concession to the fact that it is not yet summer.

Use the chipotle chilies in adobo to control the spiciness of the dressing.  I minced a small chili then added about 2 teaspoons of the sauce for extra smokey flavor without a huge amount of heat.  Taste as you go to get it right for you and your family.

Enjoy this salad now, but be sure to save it, pin it, or bookmark it for this summer when you want a wonderful no-cook dinner and the basil is growing right outside your kitchen door.

 

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Easy Chopped Salad with Chicken and Lemon Chipotle Dressing

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  • Author: Margaret@The Right Recipe
  • Yield: serves 4-6 1x

Ingredients

Scale
 
  • 1 roasted chicken
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup freshly minced basil
  • 1 Small shallot (peeled and minced)
  • 2 teaspoons chipotle chilies (from a can of chipotle chilies with adobo, minced with sauce)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cucumber (cut in half lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch)
  • 12 cherry tomatoes (diced)
  • 1 red bell pepper (diced)
  • 1 Large romaine lettuce heart (chopped)
  • 1 Large avocado (diced)

Instructions

Pull the chicken meat from the bones, discarding the skin. Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and transfer to a large salad bowl.

In a small bowl, combine the mustard and lemon juice and whisk to blend. Gradually whisk in the olive oil. Mix in the basil, shallot and chipotle with its sauce. Season the dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Mix 1/4 cup of the dressing into to chicken and let it marinate while preparing the remaining ingredients.

Stir the cucumbers, tomatoes, and bell pepper into the chicken. Mix in the lettuce. Add enough dressing to lightly coat the ingredients, Taste and adjust the seasoning. Gently mix in the avocado and serve.

2
  • Meagan
    February 22, 2016 at 2:55 pm

    you don’t by any chance know the calories per serving in this, do u??? Thanks!

    • Margaret
      February 22, 2016 at 8:11 pm

      I don’t have the exact calorie count. But taking the major calorie ingredients into account (chicken, olive oil, avocado) my estimate is 350 per serving. Thanks for checking out the recipe…it’s a keeper for sure. m