Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 10 minutes
Here's the perfect way to enjoy summer's best flavors. A savory blue cheese and buttermilk dressing brings out the flavor of tender lettuce and succulent chicken in this main dish salad.
by Chef Eddie Blyden
What you'll need
- 4 ounces mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 4 ounces buttermilk yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
- Salt and pepper
- 4 heads butter lettuce, trimmed and washed
- 8 strips thick-cut bacon
- 4 (6-ounce) boneless chicken breasts
- 6 cups water
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 4 eggs
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 2 avocados, sliced
Helpful Tip:
To save time, buy a pre-roasted chicken and/or a good prepared blue cheese dressing.
Notes:
Servings: 4
How to make it
- To make blue cheese dressing, in a small mixing bowl combine mayonnaise, garlic, buttermilk yogurt, lemon juice, and blue cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
- Place butter lettuce in a large bowl.
- Cook bacon, stirring occasionally, in a heavy medium skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer into paper towels to drain.
- Discard all but about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat and add oil to skillet. Pat chicken dry and season with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium-high and cook chicken, turning over once, until golden brown and just cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes total. Transfer chicken to a plate.
- Bring water and 3 tablespoons of vinegar to boil in a nonreactive saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low so the water just simmers. Crack eggs into a small cup. Slide eggs into bubbling water. Let eggs poach for 3 minutes. Remove each egg with a slotted spoon.
- Toss butter lettuce with 6 to 8 ounces of blue cheese dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Top salad with chicken, poached egg, tomatoes, sliced avocados, and bacon.
- Save remaining blue cheese dressing for your next party.
