Roast Chicken Salad With Croutons and Shallot Dressing
This bowl of chicken, croutons and greens makes a cool, satisfying summer dinner. Leftover roast chicken with its juices yields the most savory dressing, but leftover fried or poached chicken are also excellent.
- Total:
- Serves: 3 persons
Ingredients
- ⅓cup minced red onion or shallots
- 3tablespoons sherry or balsamic vinegar
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- ¼cup extra-virgin olive oil, more to taste
- ¼cup minced parsley
- 3tablespoons olive oil
- 2to 3 cups bite-size bread pieces
- 10to 12 ounces leftover roast chicken, skin and bones removed, with any juices that have collected in the container
- 5to 6 ounces tender salad greens, like mesclun, Bibb or oak leaf lettuce
- 2ounce chunk Parmesan or aged Gouda or other sharp cheese
Instructions
Step 1
Make the dressing: In a bowl, combine shallots and vinegar and set aside 10 to 30 minutes to soften. Add 2 big pinches of salt and a dozen grinds of black pepper. Whisk in the oil and then the parsley. Taste and add more oil, salt and pepper as needed.Step 2
Make the croutons: Gently warm the olive oil in a skillet. When a piece of bread sizzles when dropped into the pan, add all the bread and cook slowly, stirring, until golden brown on all sides. Sprinkle with salt, transfer croutons to a bowl and wipe out the pan.Step 3
In the same pan, add the cooled chicken juices (they may have jelled). Don’t worry if your chicken doesn’t have juices; the salad will still be excellent. Add a tablespoon of water to pan and heat juices until smooth and runny. Dice or tear the chicken into bite-size pieces.Step 4
In a large bowl, toss the greens well with about 2/3 of the dressing. Taste and add more if needed. Divide greens among 3 or 4 bowls or plates. On top, divide the chicken, then the croutons, then the juices. Using a vegetable peeler, shave 3 or 4 thin, wide slices of cheese on top of each salad. Spoon a little more dressing on top and grind pepper over. Serve immediately.