Spring is a mix of lovely sunny weather and cold windy torrential downpours that make me want to move to Florida. Yesterday was the latter, today is the former. But yesterday, as the sun streamed in, I made this glorious salad.
I rarely cook with chicken breasts, but I had picked some up on sale and a salad seemed like a nice idea. Although, man, does anyone else find cooking chicken breasts stressful? I am so afraid of overcooking them that I feel the need for extra vigilance that’s kind of exhausting. But while I nervously cooked my marinated chicken and let sweet potatoes and chickpeas roast in the oven, I made this lovely herby creamy dressing that I could eat all day long.
First, in the morning or at lunch, marinate your chicken. Combine 1 teaspoon each of paprika, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and brown sugar, with ½ teaspoon each of turmeric, salt, and black pepper. Sprinkle all of the spice mixture over your chicken breasts and let them marinate until you’re ready to cook dinner.
When dinner rolls around, pull the chicken out of the fridge and let it start coming to room temp. Peel and chop sweet potato (I did a mixture of white and yellow sweet potato). Toss the potatoes with olive oil and seasoning salt and place them on one half of a parchment-lined sheet pan. Toss a can of rinsed chickpeas with olive oil and seasoning salt and place them on the other half. Roast at 425°F for about 25 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through.
Meanwhile, heat your skillet to medium-high. Once hot, add your oil and sear the chicken breasts. After 5 minutes, flip, and sear the other side for another 5 minutes. Then cover and reduce the heat. Cook until a meat thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part. For me, this took about 8 more minutes. Check the temp every few minutes, it’s so easy to overcook. Cooking time really depends on the size of your chicken breasts, which varies widely, so lean on the thermometer and remove at 165°F.
To assemble, start with plates of arugula, add sliced radish and cucumber, then the roasted sweet potato and chickpeas. Top with sliced chicken and dress generously with your lovely herby green dressing.
The Herby Green Dressing
This is the star!
Into a blender:
- ½ cup radish greens (from the radishes you sliced for the salad)
- ½ cup parsley
- ½ cup dill
- 1 small garlic clove
- 2 Tbsp shallot
- ½ avocado
- ¼ cup mayo
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp sugar
- Pinch of salt and black pepper
Blend until smooth, taste, adjust. More lemon for brightness, more salt for depth.
I’ll be honest, I don’t love making salad. But if I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it, and make something giant and beautiful that’s actually a delight to eat.