Chef notes
This recipe is my mission to take people that don’t love green goddess dressing and convert them into green goddess lovers! Growing up, I wasn’t a fan of green goddess dressing, but ever since going to Cozy Royale, a restaurant in my neighborhood in Brooklyn, my perspective has completely changed. In this recipe, avocado is the foundation of the dressing, adding a nice creamy element with a ton of healthy fats. The dressing is tossed in crunchy and cold romaine, topped with grilled chicken, radish, thinly sliced red onion and oven-roasted crispy chickpeas. This salad is a great summertime lunch.
Swap Option: Omit the chicken to serve it as a side salad for dinner. You may use white beans instead of chickpeas and fresh dill instead of tarragon.
Technique Tip: Place the serving bowl or plate in the refrigerator or freezer before serving so your salad stays extra cold.
Ingredients
- 3-4 (5-6 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 lemons, zested and juiced
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed and dried on paper towels
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 tablespoons vinegar, preferably sherry or champagne
- 3 anchovy filets
- 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- 1 bunch fresh chives, roughly chopped (about 1/4 cup)
- 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves
- 1/2 cup neutral oil
- 1 medium avocado, halved, pitted and skin removed
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 small radishes, very thinly sliced
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- flaky sea salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
1.Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2.Pat the chicken breasts dry. Using a sharp knife, split each chicken breast in two horizontally for a total of 6 to 8 cutlets.
3.In a large bowl, whisk together garlic powder, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, a few cracks of freshly ground black pepper, lemon zest, the juice of 1 lemon, red wine vinegar and oil. Add the chicken breast cutlets and turn to coat evenly in the marinade. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to marinate or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
4.Meanwhile, make the chickpeas: Arrange chickpeas on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 15 minutes. Toss chickpeas with olive oil and salt. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes more, shaking occasionally, until crispy and golden. Set aside to cool.
5.Preheat a grill or grill-pan over high heat. Grill the chicken over high heat 2 to3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate to rest.
6.In a blender, combine garlic, lemon juice and zest, vinegar, anchovies, parsley, spinach, chives, tarragon and oil and blend until smooth.
7.Add the avocado and 1/4 cup water and blend again until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8.In a large serving bowl, add 1/2 of the dressing, lettuce, half the radishes and half the red onion. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and toss again.
9.Top with remaining radishes, onion, chicken and crispy chickpeas. Drizzle remaining dressing over the top of the salad. Season with flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper.
