Chicken Salad with Homemade Yogurt-Based Ranch Dressing
https://billydoemeats.com/?sca_ref=612140.OUBMoNQMp3As we begin to enter the New Year soon, wouldn’t it be nice to actually maintain a goal of eating healthier by cooking more at home, making food from scratch and making a habit out of knowing exactly what’s in your food? Not to mention the inevitable draw this has for other family members in the home and the resulting bonding time with your children when you’re cooking around them and/or inviting them to help you…
Well, when it’s said like that it’s got to be something you’ll want to eat, right?
Start off by sautéing the chicken. It’s an easy process but one in which if you know and master one simple trick, you’ll never have dry boneless chicken again: just memorize the fact that the pan has to be covered at some points. That’s how the meat retains its moisture.
In this recipe, I’m only using one boneless breast, but I cooked two so that I could whip up more of this salad the next day since the dressing is so good and there’s plenty leftover from the recipe I’m going to give you.
How to get moist on the inside and nicely browned meat on the outside:
I use just a bit of olive oil in the pan, not more than 2 tablespoons, and let one side cook thoroughly. The rule of thumb is to leave it alone and let it brown for about five minutes, but the real test of knowing is that when you try to push it over to the other side if it gives easily and turns without a fight, it’s ready; if not- leave it alone until it is.
Then, you do the same thing on the other side and once that browning has happened again, you’ll now cover the pan and turn the heat down to low. Leave there for a few minutes then turn the heat off and let the meat rest. That means, leave it in the pan a few minutes more before even thinking about cutting into it. This is where the moisture retention truly happens.
Now, and only at this point, are you ready to cut into it- or should I say instead that the meat is ready for you.
Now I’ve got all my essentials laid out to finish the dish. The scene below is for the video the was taped to show you how to make this dish. That’s not ready yet, but once it is we’ll post it back here.
For the Ranch Dressing, my essential ingredient is Mountain High Yoghurt. It’s halal-certified so that means there isn’t any funny stuff inside of it- no gelatins or emulsifiers to give us any doubt about its origin. Just the real, good stuff. So, that’s why I’m using it. We’re also using it in this particular recipe because we’re encouraging everyone to find recipes and ways that that last portion of yogurt inside the tub can be finished up. You know, whenever you’re making recipes you use big chunks of the yogurt but what do you do with that last 1/3 or smaller portion of the yogurt? If you’ve got ideas, tell us in the comments section below or use the hashtag #finishthetub and tag @mountainhighyoghurt and @myhalalkitchen on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook so we can see and possibly share your ideas, too!
The salad is super easy to pull together once the chicken is cooked. In fact, you can even cook the chicken the night before and put the remaining ingredients in containers for work the next day where you can easily throw it all together for lunch at your desk- although that’s not encouraged, but just to demonstrate that it really is that simple. Just heat the chicken thoroughly prior to eating- unless you’re okay with it being cold.
To make the dressing you simply combine a few ingredients: yogurt (I like the whole milk yogurt and this recipe has been tested using that), buttermilk, heavy whipping cream, salt and black pepper. To lighten it up you could use milk instead of whipping cream but again we tested this recipe over and over again for taste and texture and this was the best ratio and texture of all the varieties of creams used. To go vegan would be an entirely different story, so let’s leave that variation for another day…
The other few ingredients are Romaine lettuce (I suppose you could use iceberg, too, if you like), good croutons, and Parmesan cheese.
Your colleagues will be drooling over your lunch, which is fine because this recipe makes enough for you to share, and share you should…
How are YOU going to #finishthetub?
To get more recipe inspiration and to find out where you can get Mountain High halal-certified yogurt, visit their Facebook page or their website.
*This post was sponsored by Mountain High Yoghurt. The opinions and content are my own and do not reflect that of Mountain High.
- 1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 head Romaine lettuce
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese slices
- 1/2 cup croutons
- 1 1/2 cups plain whole milk Mountain High Yoghurt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- Follow the instructions in the blog post above to thoroughly cook each piece of breast and to nicely brown each side. Let rest and set aside until the salad is assembled.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients. Stir until well blended. Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week.
- On a serving plate or bowl, layer the salad greens with croutons and Parmesan. Cut the chicken into cube-sized pieces and place on top. Drizzle the dressing generously over the salad and enjoy every bite!
Responses