Recipe

Chicken BLT Salad with Sour Cream Dressing

Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Serves: 8

This salad is based on the favourite bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. It has wide appeal too as it looks and tastes somewhat like a Caesar salad and is lower in fat than many versions.

Ingredients

4 slices bacon, sliced
1 lb (0.5 kg) boneless, skinless chicken breast(s)
2 slices whole wheat bread
1/4 cup (60 mL) shallots, diced
1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
1/2 cup (125 mL) light sour cream
1/2 cup (125 mL) plain yogurt, 1-2% MF
2 tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice, fresh
2 tbsp (30 mL) cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp (5 mL) Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) sugar
1 tsp (5 mL) paprika
1 tsp (5 mL) basil, dried
1/4 tsp (1.25 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1.25 mL) pepper
12 cups (3 L) Romaine lettuce, torn in pieces
2 cups (500 mL) cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 cup (250 mL) mozzarella cheese, part skim, 16.5% MF, grated

Instructions

1 Cook the bacon over medium heat in a non-stick skillet until crisp and brown on both sides – about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain and cool. Slice into pieces.
2 Pour off and discard all but one tablespoon of the bacon fat from the skillet. Slice chicken breast into strips and saute in pan until lightly browned and cooked through. Set aside.
3 Cut the bread into one inch (2.5 cm) cubes and mince the shallots. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add to the pan and cook, stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes or until crisp on the outside and lightly browned. Transfer to the plate with the bacon to cool.
4 Mix dressing ingredients together sour cream, yogurt, fresh lemon juice, cider vinegar, garlic mustard, sugar, paprika, basil, salt and pepper. A fast way to do this is to shake them together in a jar covered with a lid.
5 Add the torn lettuce and halved cherry tomatoes to the bowl along with the bacon, bread cubes and shallots. Add dressing and toss. Add the cooked sliced chicken strips and grated mozzarella cheese and toss again. Serve immediately.