There’s the kind of chicken salad I want to eat in a sandwich (heavy on the mayo and celery, please), and there’s the kind I want to lazily pick at over the course of an hours-long chic summer lunch. This recipe is my Platonic ideal of the latter. The tender poached chicken breast is a perfect contrast to the fresh crunch of blanched green beans and sweet corn (snap peas, radishes, or cucumbers would be right at home here too). The pot of boiling salted water does double-duty here: first, getting the green beans crisp-tender, then serving as a gentle bath for the chicken breast. The creamy, green, herb-packed goddess dressing and generous shower of fried shallots on top keep things feeling healthyish not austere. —Christina Chaey
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What you’ll need
Blender
$40 At Amazon
Spider
$10 At Amazon
Microplane Grater
$18 At Amazon
Citrus Juicer
$20 $15 At Amazon
Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls, Set of 6
$39 $36 At Amazon
Slotted Spoon
$11 At Amazon
Large Pot
$55 $48 At Amazon
Ingredients
4 servings
8
1
2
1
¼
¼
2
1
2
1½
¾
¾
2
Preparation
Step 1
Cook green beans in a large pot of boiling heavily salted water 30 seconds. Add corn and cook until beans are bright green and crisp-tender and corn is just barely tender, about 15 seconds. Using a spider or slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to a medium bowl of ice water; keep pot of water boiling. Let vegetables cool, then drain and transfer to a large bowl.
Step 2
Add chicken to pot; return water to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and cook at a bare simmer until juices run clear when thickest part of chicken is pierced with the tip of a small knife (an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken should register 150°; internal temperature will climb to 160° as chicken rests), 20–25 minutes for skin-on, bone-in breasts; 10–15 minutes for skinless, boneless breasts. Transfer chicken to a plate; let cool slightly. Shred meat into big pieces; discard skin and bones if present. Add shredded meat to bowl with vegetables.
Step 3
Purée anchovy, avocado, oil, sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegar, ½ cup herbs, and ¼ cup water in a blender, adding more water to thin if needed, until smooth and thick (dressing should be the consistency of heavy cream); season with salt and pepper. Taste and add more lemon juice, salt, and/or pepper if needed (dressing should be bright and acidic).
Step 4
Toss chicken and vegetables with half of dressing, half of fried shallots, and ¼ cup herbs. Arrange lettuce on a platter; mound chicken salad on top. Drizzle with more dressing. Top with more herbs and remaining fried shallots. Serve with remaining dressing alongside.
Do ahead: Chicken can be cooked and shredded 3 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container; cover and chill.
Leave a Review
Reviews (22)
Back to TopPS- instead of a fresh anchovy, we used a squeeze of always-convenient, anchovy paste along with the fresh herb mixture. The handy-dandy Nutribullet personal blender whipped-up the dressing beautifully, with little cleanup. Enjoyed everyone’s good ideas, tips & takes on this recipe. Looking forward to enjoying again! Green Goddess - an oldie & goodie :)
Gottaluvit!
6/12/2022
A green garden fresh-tasting salad, highlighted by the zest of a fresh lemon (more, not less)! Our herb garden provided the mix needed for the excellent dressing. We decided to substitute some beautifully brined & fried chicken fingers purchased at a local. eatery) which we sliced into bite-sized pieces. We also added some TJ’s crispy fried jalapeño slices as a substitute for the fried shallots (which were difficult to find) - a great zing of flavor. Tore this recipe page out of our magazine to add to our personal “Best Of” recipe binder. Fantastic- especially on a hot summer evening.
Gottaluvit!
Dallas, Texas
6/12/2022
Five star recipe with the exception of poaching the chicken. I probably do it incorrectly, but bleck! It always turns out tough and lackluster. What a waste of time and effort. Next time I'll make it with rotisserie or TJs roasted chicken instead, and it will be so much better. Otherwise, the crunchy veg and delicious herby-avocado dressing made this salad a win.
SpatulaCity123
Los Angeles, CA
6/11/2022
Absolutely delicious and quick to pull together (since I had a store-bought roast chicken). My husband loved it, and he doesn't like any salads! I diced and added the remaining avocado into the salad. Bacon could be a nice addition to this too.
Whit Bouck
Lake Tahoe, CA
6/9/2022
This was a fantastic salad. Although I was nervous about using the anchovy, I did it! And it was delicious and not a bit fishy as I feared. I'm not a green bean fan, so I used asparagus. Also, I couldn't find premade shallots, so I had to use fried onions. It was a beautiful presentation and a great layering of flavor. I think next time I'm going to add a sprinkling of blue cheese.
keyze
San Clemente, CA
6/8/2022