Cauliflower and Chicken Salad

Makes 4-6 servings.

This is definitely a non-traditional chicken salad. I like it because it has so few ingredients and those ingredients complement each other. It is simple to make, it is nutritious and by serving the dressing on the side you can gauge how much or little you like. Both the chicken and the cauliflower have a distinct flavor.    

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each)
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 medium cauliflower
  • Leaves from 10 tarragon sprigs
  • 2 tablespoons water.
  • Arugula or a mixture of different greens 

DRESSING:

  • 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION:

  1. Preheat oven to 450F.
  2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towel. Place the chicken skin side down (where the skin would have been) in an oven-proof dish. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Season lightly with salt and pepper and scatter leaves from 5 tarragon sprigs.
  3. Cut the stalk and leaves off the cauliflower and discard. Cut the head into small florets and rinse. Place the cauliflower in an ovenproof dish, salt and pepper lightly, drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons water. Scatter the remaining tarragon leaves.  
  4. Place the chicken and the cauliflower in the oven, side by side.
  5. Roast the chicken for about 12, minutes, turning it once. The chicken should be pink on the inside. Take it out of the oven and cover it with foil; it will continue cooking. Remove the foil after a few minutes, let the chicken cool completely and cut it into 1 inch strips.
  6. Roast the cauliflower for about 30 minutes; turning it once. It should be almost soft.  Let it cool as well.     

TO MAKE THE DRESSING:

  1. Coursely chop the garlic on a cutting board. Sprinkle with the salt and crush it with a knife until it becomes a paste.
  2. Place in a small dish and whisk in the remaining ingredients.
  3. Pour into a sauce dish.

TO SERVE:

Place the greens into a large bowl. Top with the cauliflower and the chicken with the accumulated juices. Serve the dressing on the side.

You can also pre-plate the salad.