This Chicken Salad with Avocado Dressing is made with a seasoned, juicy chicken with a colourful salad, and tossed with an awesome creamy avocado dressing that tastes just like guacamole. Avocados are cholesterol free and full of nutrition – we need to get MORE in our diet!
Gasp, shock horror, I’m finally posting a salad! Long overdue….so much for my New Years’ resolution to post more green things here on RecipeTin Eats.🙌🏼
Can I be honest? I’ve actually made and photographed a handful of salads….salads with oomph, not wimpy ones. I mean salads that are healthy but still truly satisfying to have as meals.
I write up the recipe and even schedule it to publish….then I get distracted by something I’m even more excited about. Like that Baked Chinese Sesame Chicken I shared a couple of weeks ago. I actually had the slot reserved for a Buffalo Chicken Salad, but it got bumped at the last minute because I made the Sesame Chicken the day before and I got overly excited about it.
Oops. So much for a professional editorial calendar. I could never run a proper magazine. Can you imagine?? Changing my mind at the last minute like that!
But today I’m sticking to my guns because Chicken Salad with Avocado Dressing is seriously worthy of having as meal. And it all comes down to this – the creamy avocado dressing. 🙌
Beautiful ripe avocado and a handful of other ingredients to make a luscious avocado dressing that actually tastes like avocado.
I used to make avocado dressing with buttermilk, using that to thin it out to a dressing consistency. But then one day my sister was around, and in her usual form, she opened the fridge and started poking around for things to eat. Spied a tub of avocado dressing, stuck her finger in for taste, scrunched up her nose and said “This doesn’t taste like avocado.”
In response to which, I instantly stuck my finger in for a taste, ready to argue….and realised….it didn’t. At least, not enough like avocado.
Buttermilk was the problem. The flavour was too intense, it overpowered the avocado. So I fixed my recipe. 🙂
I make this salad with a tasty chicken which is seasoned for extra flavour. I really think it is worth making a basic spice rub to flavour chicken for salads. Makes salads extra interesting!
And it’s carb free. And cheese free. Miracle of miracles! 🙂
I promise to share more healthy, lower calorie meals in 2016. My recipes aren’t typically cream / butter heavy unless it’s for a special treat. But I have a whole repertoire of lower calorie, more nutrition dense recipes.
I am seriously thinking about increasing my weekly recipe posts from 3 to 4, and making the extra recipe a healthy one.
What do you think? Do you want to see more healthy recipes here on RecipeTin Eats?
– Nagi x
PS That’s healthy…..without compromise! I can’t compromise flavour for calories…I just can’t. It’s not in my DNA!!!
MORE CHICKEN SALADS YOU’LL LOVE
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More giant Salads for Meals
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Chicken Salad with Avocado Dressing
Ingredients
Avocado Dressing
- 1/2 large or 1 small ripe avocado
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 2 tbsp diced red onion
- 1/4 cup cilantro , stems and leaves, not packed in
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil (optional)
- 1 tbsp plain low fat yoghurt (I use Greek)
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 3 - 5 tbsp low fat milk
- 1/4 tsp onion or garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Black pepper
Chicken
- 5 - 7 oz / 250 - 300g chicken breast , skinless boneless (I had 1 large one)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Spice Rub
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp each onion powder , garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- Black pepper
Salad
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1 corn , steamed, kernels cut off (or 3/4 cup cooked kernels)
- 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes , halved or quartered
- 5 cups chopped lettuce
Instructions
- Avocado Dressing: Place the ingredients in a small food processor and whizz until smooth. Use MILK to adjust consistency, and adjust salt to taste. (Note 1)
- Spice Rub: Combine ingredients and scatter on a plate.
- Chicken: Slice into 4 - 5 thin steaks on the diagonal, then coat both sides with Spice Rub.
- Cook Chicken: Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add chicken and cook both sides until dark brown. Remove onto a plate and cover loosely with foil. Rest for 5 minutes then slice thickly.
- Pile the Salad ingredients onto a serving platter then place the chicken on the side.
- Serve with Avocado Dressing.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
PS I have included Chicken Salad with Avocado Dressing in the RecipeTin LITE category (which is only for recipes <500 calories) on the basis that I doubt you will use all the avocado dressing. 🙂
Oh Nagi!! You are my muse!! Not only to your recipes sound and look fantastic, you inspire me in so many ways. I’ve already come up with several ideas for salads. Now all I have to do is master the pour shot. I’m going to reread your suggestions so I don’t end up having a lot of creamy stuff all over 🙂
Oooh! I bet you do amazing salads Marisa!!! 🙂 Go the pour shot!!! I used to practice with water a lot! 🙂
This is so my kind of salad! My husband says my salad are not for diet because they are so loaded with goodness :p This chicken salad looks so amazing and the dressing is so to die for!
Oooh! I bet you do MEAN salads Jasline!!! Popping over to check some OUT!
Thanks for this dressing recipe, Nagi! I had bought a similar one and was going to figure out how to make it myself, and you’ve saved me the trouble! How long will this keep, or do you make it in small amounts to use up fairly quickly? As for the chicken…one of me pet peeves when I order a salad with grilled chicken in a restaurant is how tasteless it is. Plus it’s often dry. A rub or marinade make as all the difference! I make up various rub recipes and keep them on hand. (Your shawarma rub is definitely a winner; Mr. Fussy is still raving about the recipe. He even said it was worth 6 martinis! And this is form someone who is ambivalent about chicken!
Hi Marlene! Actually, I had leftovers in a small container for 3 days and it was still green! I wouldn’t go beyond 3 days though 🙂 PS Boo to bland chicken!!! No excuses! 😉
Nagi – I’m just a regular type person who loves to cook for my friends. And….I LOVE to eat! I’m enamored of your recipes simply because, when I read them, and make them, great tasting food is produced. I’d REALLY LOVE to see you do your take on some healthy eats. I figure that your take on healthy will be all about dishes that are something that I WANT TO EAT! none of that “Tofu with Greens and Jimaca Slaw”. (I really do like Jimaca). I guess I spelled it wrong. In any case, I’d be happy to see your take on “Healthy”. I bet it would taste FABULOUSO!!!!!
Thanks for your enthusiasm Heather! I really would LOVE to share what I call food that just HAPPENS to be lower in calories!!! I’ve tried, I really have, things like the spiralizer and tofu substituted for meat….but I can’t. I just can’t!!!! N x
I’ve been blogging on and off for 5 years and you might find two or three salad recipes on my blog, this tells you something! Your salad looks gorgeous, the vegetables look so fresh, and you just mesmerised me by that dressing 🙂
BA HA HA!!! You’re my kind of gal Muna!!! <3 N x
Hi Nagi!
Can you please clarify the measurement for the cilantro? It says “1/4 cilantro”…is that 1/4 cup? Recipe looks and sounds dee-lish! Thank you!!
Hi Cari! Thanks for the question!!! Hmm 1/4 cilantro is a bit obscure isn’t it? 1/4 leaf? 1/4 cup? 1/4 tsp?? 😉 Actually, it’s 1/4 cup, not packed. Thank you for picking that up!
Thank you!!
P.S. Love your recipes ?
Nagi,
I am so impressed with your blog!! Your recipes are fabulous – yummy & simple! I love to cook and get bored with the same old foods, so I’m always checking out new recipes and yours are some of the best by far! The simple and available ingredients that you use make them great!
Keep up the good work – my taste buds thank you!!
Ann
Thank you for your lovely message Ann! I’m so glad you like the look of the recipes on my blog – I do hope you enjoy them! N x
Hi Nagi! I don’t care how healthy this is, I’d eat it because it’s delicious! I’ve never been one to purposely eat “healthy” – I eat everything, just not (usually) in mass quantity! 🙂 The exception is in the summer when our garden is in full swing and then we eat mass quantities of fresh veggies.
I think you and I have fairly similar food “standards” Dorothy!!! I know you don’t deep fry, so while you might not eat purposely “healthy”, I think we have a fairly balanced diet! (Albeit bacon / cheese / carb heavy….in moderation of course!!! 😉 ) N x
Nagi, you always surprise me, but whatever you make always turn out delicious. So whether it’s healthy or not, I will still eat what you make. 🙂
Awww, thank you Linda! I do like to mix it up a bit….keeps life interesting!!!
We’re going thru weather with lots of rain here in California (thank goodness!!) but as soon as it warms up a bit, this will be one of the first things I make. In the meantime, I’ll be making many of your other dishes.
I’m glad / sad to hear it’s raining in California!!! 🙂 It’s practically summer all year round for you guys over there, I swear, Californians do NOT know what real cold is!!!!
I canNOT wait to try this, especially the avocado dressing! Compromising flavor for calories is not in my DNA either!!
Had to post an addendum now that I’ve tried it. Had it on salad — delish. But THEN! I tried it in some black bean soup next to a dollop of sour cream….. GURL!! And then! because that was such a success, I put it in a quesadilla with some pepper jack ….. This is good on everything!! Especially my spoon!
OOOH!!!! I’m going to DO THAT! I always have leftover dressing!!! (Yes, definitely very delicious on the spoon!)
??Fist pump Lobaloba!!!! I’m totally WITH YOU!!!
I love avocado dressing and make it often. Most of all, I love, love, love your pics. You make your food look so good. I am working hard with what I learned in your book but I have taken a step back with my switch to shooting raw.
Hi Peter! Can you drop me a pre and post book post? I’m keen to see the difference and I can drop some suggestions in the post if you want! I remember seeing a rib eye on your site recently which I thought was beautifully photographed! The “getting down low, get in close” style with a low f-stop. 🙂 Don’t overthink RAW, just treat it like JPEG! From a shooting perspective, it is actually no different shooting with RAW or JPEG. But when you come to editing, RAW will let you do so much more!!! Promise. 🙂
Nagi dear, at least you have an editorial calendar! Mine is just a big smush of ideas floating around in my head, or scrawled on a piece of paper, and whichever one floats to the forefront of my mind on a particular day wins! 😉
I actually think many of your recipes are healthy. OK, they’re not salads necessarily, but they’re balanced.
But wouldn’t hurt to throw a salad into the mix every now and again if you think people would like them. Especially if they’re going to be as yummy as this one. Totally approve of the Greek yoghurt in the avo dressing, of course!
BA HA HA!!! Well the ideas floating around in your head are a LOT more organised than my, clearly!!!! 🙂