Barbecue ranch chicken salad

Total Time:   30 min   Prep: 20 min  Cook:  10 min  Serves: 4
Difficulty: Easy

A market basket of summer vegetables forms the base of this salad that is loaded with flavor and texture. A simple, savory basting sauce made from pantry staples elevates humble boneless chicken breasts to smoky barbecue perfection with no need to fire up the grill. Cool ranch dressing and a few crumbles of tangy goat cheese are a welcome creamy counterpoint to the delicious players in this hearty salad. Change things up by swapping chunks of roasted red pepper for the tomato or turning to green peas or shelled edamame in place of the corn kernels. A smattering of chopped fresh herbs is always welcome. Turn this into a crunchy wrap by rolling up a serving of the salad in a large iceberg lettuce leaf for a meal on the go.

Ingredients

Canned tomato sauce

½ cup(s)

 

Honey mustard

1 Tbsp

 

Barbecue seasoning blend

1 Tbsp

 

Dark brown sugar

2 tsp

 

Onion powder

1 tsp

 

Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp

 

Uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast

20 oz, (4 5-oz. breasts)

 

Kosher salt

½ tsp

Black pepper

¼ tsp

 

Chopped romaine lettuce

6 cup(s)

 

Grape tomatoes

2 cup(s), halved

 

Uncooked bell pepper(s)

1 item(s), medium, red variety, chopped

 

Canned black beans

½ cup(s), rinsed and drained

 

Canned corn kernels

½ cup(s), rinsed and drained

 

Reduced fat ranch dressing

¼ cup(s)

 

Semisoft goat cheese

¼ cup(s), crumbled

 

Uncooked scallion(s)

¼ cup(s), sliced

Instructions

1. Stir together tomato sauce, honey mustard, barbecue seasoning, brown sugar, onion powder, and Worcestershire sauce in small bowl. Set aside.

2. Heat ridged grill pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and black pepper. Place chicken in grill pan and cook, turning once, until almost done, about 6 minutes. Brush chicken with tomato-sauce mixture and cook, turning and brushing with sauce, until cooked through, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to cutting board and cut into slices.

3. Meanwhile, divide lettuce evenly among 4 plates. Top evenly with tomatoes, bell pepper, black beans, and corn. Top each salad with 1 chicken breast, drizzle evenly with dressing, and sprinkle evenly with goat cheese and scallions.

4. Serving size: 1 salad

Notes

Make an extra batch of the grilled chicken to use Chicken Salad for BBQ chicken sandwiches later in the week.