This Chopped Chicken Salad is easy to put together and filling enough to eat for dinner! Made with fennel, mandarin oranges, avocado, and a flavorful miso dressing, it’s perfect for winter but also endlessly adaptable to the seasons.
- 25 minutes
- 16 minutes
- 2 as a main or 4 as a side
Ingredients
For the salad
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 head butter lettuce, washed and dried
- 1 large handful arugula or watercress, washed and dried
- 1 small or 1/2 large bulb fennel, very thinly sliced
- 3 seedless mandarins, peeled, cut into wheels, and pulled into pieces
- 1 small avocado, diced
For the miso dressing
- 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 scallions, white and light green parts only, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Special equipment:
- Meat pounder or rolling pin
Method
1 Pound the chicken: Lay the chicken breasts on a cutting board. Use a mallet or the side of a rolling pin to pound the thicker end of the breasts, so they’re about the same thickness along the whole breast. Season on both sides with salt and freshly ground pepper.
2 Cook the chicken: Heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil over medium in a large cast-iron or non-stick skillet. Cook the chicken until nicely browned on one side and opaque halfway up the side, about 8 minutes.
Flip and cook on the second side until no longer pink in the center, another 8 minutes or so. Transfer to a cutting board to rest for at least 5 minutes. Cut across the grain in 1/3-inch-thick slices.
3 Make the miso dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the miso, apple cider vinegar, honey, scallions, and cumin until smooth. Continue to whisk as you drizzle in the remaining olive oil.
4 Assemble the salad: Toss the lettuce, arugula, and fennel in a large bowl with just enough dressing to lightly coat. Transfer to 4 serving bowls. Tuck the avocado, mandarins, and chicken slices into the bowls and dribble a little more dressing over them. Serve immediately.
