One of my favorite things to eat in the summer time is salad, because it is so refreshing. Here is one of my favorite salads – the BBQ Chicken Salad. This salad is super easy to make, the hardest thing is grilling the chicken (and even that only takes about 5 minutes). I recommend eating this out on a picnic table in your back yard. Enjoy!
What you will need (This makes 1 entrée serving or 2 side salads):
2 Cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 Cups chopped green leaf lettuce or spinach
1/2 Cup chopped red cabbage
1 Small tomato, chopped (1/4 Cup)
1 Boneless, skinless chicken breast half
1/3 Cup barbecue sauce
1/2 Cup black beans
1/4 Cup whole kernel corn
1/2 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 Cup French’s French Fried Onions (*onion straws)
3 Avocado slices (1/4 avocado)
1/4 Cup ranch dressing
Toss together the lettuce and cabbage and arrange on a large plate (or two small plates). Arrange the tomato on the lettuce mixture at the bottom of the plate(s).
Grill the chicken breast on a hot barbecue grill for 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until done, making sure to brush a generous amount of barbecue sauce over the chicken as it grills.
Heat the black beans and corn in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Spread the black beans and corn over the lettuce on the left side of the plate.
Slice the warm chicken into bite-size pieces and arrange them in the middle of the lettuce in the center of the plate(s).
Sprinkle the cheese over the lettuce on the right side of the plate. Sprinkle the onion straws over the cheese.
Garnish the salad with 3 slices of the avocado arranged side by side on the right rim of the plate.
Serve with ranch dressing and the remaining barbecue sauce on the side.
*If you would like to make your own onion straws, here is an easy simple recipe:
What you will need:
2 Cups vegetable oil
1/4 Cup very thinly sliced white onion
1/2 Cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 Cup cold water
Heat the oil in a wide saucepan to about 350°F degrees.
Slice the onion into very thin onion rings and then cut the rings in half, making them into long strips or straws (try to slice the onion as thin as possible).
Combine your flour, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the cold water and whisk until the batter is smooth.
Once the oil is hot, drop the onions into the batter. Remove the onions one at a time, removing any excess batter, and then carefully place them into your hot oil. Cook each onion straw for about 2 minutes or until they start to turn a golden brown. Drain the onion straws on a paper towel. Let them cool for 5 minutes and then add them to your salad.
-Thanks to Todd Wilbur for this recipe