Roasted Chicken and Avocado Salad

We love a beautiful salad, and this one has all of the components to make it worthy of a meal: hearty roasted chicken, fresh mozzarella, creamy avocado, toasty freshly made croutons, and bright lemon and herb vinaigrette. It’s the exact thing you wish for on those nights where you just want something simple.

Making the vinaigrette

I like to mix up simple vinaigrettes at home, so that I can adjust the flavors, salt and sugar to suit my taste. Plus, it’s pretty easy to make a super tasty dressing with a touch of high-quality olive oil and fresh lemon juice! I start with a handful of chopped fresh herbs and whisk them into a vibrant combo of citrus, champagne vinegar and olive oil. I prefer champagne vinegar because the flavor is very interesting: mild, slightly sweet and pleasantly tart and sour – without the sharp bite of red wine vinegar. You can also substitute a white balsamic vinegar and still get excellent results. Or, try using a fruit, citrus or honey vinegar, instead.

Varying the salad to your taste

I really like a little radicchio in this salad, as it adds a peppery bitter element to the salad (arugula works as a great substitute). If desired, try a different soft cheese, such as French feta or goat cheese. Felix loves boiled eggs in his salads, but I literally couldn’t fit anything else on the board – so, sorry my friend, but no eggs this time! You can add one if you wish; it would fit very well into this mix. Both Felix and I love the ease of buying a store-made roasted whole chicken and shredding it off the bone for this salad. This is totally up to you, though!

Craving grilled salmon instead of chicken? Do it! Need it to be gluten-free? Omit the croutons or use gluten-free bread, instead. Need a vegetarian version? Roast or grill some peppers and onion (or even potatoes) and add them to the greens. This salad and dressing formula makes a great base recipe for you to modify to suit your mood, the season and occasion. Take it and make it your own!