As August begins, we face some of the hottest weather summer has to offer us in my part of the world. It helps to have a selection of low cook or even no cook meal ideas on hand for those days. In fact, some people refer to them as "salad days." This is often said with more than a little sadness, but it need not be considered the lesser dinner option. Give yourself a little treat when you combine the season's freshest produce, a little protein, and a delicious Asian-inspired dressing:
The key to this great salad is the dressing. If you want to make it gluten free, make sure you carefully choose your BBQ sauce and soy sauce, as not every variety is safe for those wishing to avoid gluten. You can skip the sriracha sauce in this dressing, but I think it adds a nice kick. I actually opt for the slightly chunky variety, as it adds a nice texture to the final product. Of course, if the heat isn't your thing, you can skip it or even add a little honey to sweeten the dressing. It's really that versatile.
After you've given the chicken a quick bath in the dressing after it's come off the grill, the remaining dressing is then drizzled over the salads. That means you get a dose of the dressing in every bite of chicken and as a wonderful dressing for the entire salad! What's more, by tossing the grilled chicken into the dressing while you arrange the greens and veggies on your serving plates, you allow the dressing to slightly cool the chicken and you allow the chicken to slightly warm the dressing. I think the end result is just perfect. Try it and let me know what you think!
Chopped Asian BBQ Salad
- 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 2 T. BBQ sauce
- 1 T. sriracha sauce
- 1 tsp. soy sauce
- 2 T. olive oil
- 1 T. lime juice
- 12 oz. mixed salad greens
- 2 medium carrots, peeled & cut into matchsticks
- 2 T. thinly sliced green onions
- 2 T. sliced almonds
Using either an indoor or outdoor grill, fully cook the chicken breast.
While the chicken is cooking, combine the BBQ sauce, sriracha sauce, soy sauce, olive oil, and lime juice in a small bowl and stir to combine. When the chicken is done, remove it from the heat and slice it into bite-sized pieces and place them in the bowl with the dressing. Set aside.
On two serving plates, arrange the salad greens, carrots, and green onions. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken pieces and add those to the plates as well. Sprinkle the plates evenly with the sliced onions and drizzle the salads with the remaining dressing in the bowl. Serve immediately.
- Yields: 2 servings
- Preparation Time: 20 minutes