Grilled Tarragon Chicken Salad with Green Goddess Dressing
In Recipes
So if you planted an herb garden this summer you likely have an overabundance of herbs right now. Or at least I hope you do. My Italian parsley is out of control. It took over. If you’re in the same boat this is a great dressing for you!
But the first thing to do for this recipe is get your chicken in the marinade. Not familiar with tarragon? It has an aromatic property reminiscent of anise and can be rather pungent. But in this marinade it just gives the chicken a subtle herby flavor. My future father-in-law (yes, Greg and I got engaged last week :) !!!!!) loves to use tarragon in eggs.
There are about a million different recipes for green goddess dressing out there. Generally it’s a mixture of herbs, anchovy, sour cream, mayonnaise and some extra add-ins. You can lighten it up by substituting greek yogurt for the mayonnaise and sour cream and adding a ripe avocado for extra creaminess.
Don’t fear the anchovies! By lightly cooking them with the garlic they basically melt. The don’t have a strong seafood taste – more of a salty, briny flavor that complements the herbs.
So pretty! I like to make the dressing ahead of time when possible because I think it tastes better when it’s cold.
Looking at the recipe for this dish, it seems complicated because of the long list of ingredients needed. But most of them are things you likely have on hand. You can use different herbs for the dressing/marinade or different toppings for the salad. But I highly recommend keeping the grapefruit! Fruit in your salad is always nice.
Grilled Tarragon Chicken Salad with Green Goddess Dressing
- Serves 4
- Prep Time 30 minutes
- Cook Time 20 minutes
Ingredients
Tarragon Grilled Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
¼ cup greek yogurt
Juice from 1 lime
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
½ teaspoon dried tarragon
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 cup plain bread crumbs
Green Goddess Dressing
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 anchovy filets
½ cup sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
Juice from 1 lemon
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
Salt and Pepper
Salad Assembly
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
3 cups baby spinach
2 carrots, peeled into ribbons
2 avocados, sliced
2 green onions, sliced
4-6 radishes, thinly sliced
2 grapefruit, peeled and sliced
Cherry tomatoes
Directions
In blender, combine yogurt, lime juice, fresh and dried tarragon, olive oil, salt and pepper. Blend until well combined. Pour marinade into plastic bag or storage container and add chicken breast. Turn to coat the chicken. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes.Place the bread crumbs on a plate evenly. Remove the chicken from the marinade and coat each breast with bread crumbs. Grill the chicken on a pre-heated grill for about 20 minutes or until cooked through.
In a small skillet over medium heat add olive oil, garlic and anchovy filets. Cook for 1-2 minutes until garlic is fragrant. In blender combine sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, parsley, tarragon, chives and garlic/anchovy mixture. Blend until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate.
To assemble salads, mix romaine and spinach and evenly distribute among plates. Add some of each topping. Top with sliced chicken and dressing.
Congratulations on your Engagement! We are just thrilled to welcome you into our family! I, too, have tons of Italian flat leaf parsley, I will definitely try this dressing. We never grew Tarragon before this year and have been enjoying it in omelets, and were not sure how else to use it–This chicken marinade and salad looks like a winner!