BUFFALO CHICKEN TORTILLA SALAD
MY GO TO WFH LUNCH
2 servings, 45 minutes
Ingredients:
Buffalo Chicken:
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast
1/4 cup homemade ranch (see below)
1 ½ cups Franks red hot
Salt
Pepper
Optional: dried oregano, dried thyme, paprika, bay leaf
Vegan Ranch Dressing:
1 cup vegan mayo
1/4 non dairy milk, I use Oatly
1/2 of a lemon, juice only
1 garlic clove
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp pepper
Salt
Optional: 1/4 fresh dill
Salad:
1 head romaine
3/4 cup corn - I use canned for ease!
3/4 cup black beans - I use canned for ease!
1 avocado
2 Roma tomatoes
1 cup-ish buffalo chicken (above)
2 corn tortillas, can sub for 1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
The Blistered Peppers Take:
Buffalo-anything and I’m in. Give me a perfectly cooked piece of chicken, tofu, cauliflower and cover it in hot sauce (and butter), I’m hooked. Yes I love spending my time in the kitchen. The chopping, mixing, seasoning, tasting, all chills me out after long days or during a lazy weekend. But, like all of you, I need to grab and go sometimes or find quick meals for busy days and the thought of taking out a pot or a pan is the furthest thing from my mind. This meal is exactly that. I prep the chicken at the beginning of the week, chop the veggies, mix up the ranch (it’ll keep for 5 days cold in the fridge) and then I can grab and plop into a salad bowl, easy peasy.
HOW TO PREP AND KEEP THE INGREDIENTS FRESH
Most pre-prepared food can be kept in air tight containers in your refrigerator for up to 5 days. My favorite storage containers are these - pick them up (now’s the perfect time before Thanksgiving leftovers come into your life!). When it comes to lettuce it’s important to wash them, but to also dry them extremely well. After you chop it up, store it with a paper towel to avoid the lettuce getting slimy. Beans are easy, right? You just open the can and use them. But if you prep them before by straining the beans, and rinsing them really well, throw them into an airtight container and you can spoon them over any salad or wrap in no time (same with the corn!). Tomatoes are easy. Normally you want to keep tomatoes at room temperature to maintain their juiciness, but if you plan on using them in a salad, go ahead and chop some up a few days before and they’ll keep in your fridge just fine. Do NOT pre prep your avocado. Avocados brown when they’re exposed to air so you want to use them as soon as you need them. But, don’t fret. If you’ve got a fresh avocado (it gives just a bit when you push your finger against the skin) you can just cut it in half and scoop it into any dish you’re eating.
SHREDDING AND KEEPING THE CHICKEN FRESH
I get it, shredding chicken is easy. But, there’s an even easier way! Do you have a stand mixer? If so, using the mixing paddle (not the dough hook) throw the warm chicken into the mixer. Put the speed on “stir” or 1 and the chicken will start falling apart. It’ll work with room temperature chicken, but it’s more easily shreddable when it’s still warm. Obviously you can also throw the warm chicken into a bowl (use a bowl that’s larger than you think you need so you have room) take two forks and gently pull the chicken apart at both ends. Once all the chicken is shredded, you simply mix it with the buffalo sauce, let it cool and then throw it into an airtight container in your refrigerator and it’ll keep fresh for up to 5 days. Perfect for this salad or just a snack with a side of tortilla chips!
THROW INTO A BOWL AND ENJOY
Now you’ve got all your ingredients prepped. Throw them all into your favorite bowl (I love an oversized bowl for a salad, so that I can mix the dressing in and avoid a mess - plus more salad for me!) slice up some avocado, top with the creamy dressing and your favorite tortillas. Make it fancy and throw some cilantro on there. Let me know what you think. Did you change anything? Tag me on social. Send me your pics. Enjoy!
More Blistered Peppers salads to try:
Steps:
Prep the dressing: in a small food processor, mix all of the vegan ranch ingredients until smooth.
If you don’t own a food processor, you can use a blender or simply mince the garlic by hand and whisk well.
In a large pot, cover the chicken breast with water. Add seasonings of choice - I use a heavy dash of dried oregano, dried thyme, paprika, salt, and pepper (this will enhance the flavor but we will strain them after so it is not necessary). Bring to a boil and cook for about 10-15 minutes until the inside of the chicken breast is no longer pink. Strain the water and use an electric mixer or two forks to shred.
Combine a 1/4 cup of the homemade ranch and 1 ½ cups of the Franks red hot sauce. Add the buffalo sauce into the shredded chicken and mix well so the chicken is coated completely. Let chicken cool in fridge.
Optional: heat a medium or large pan with avocado oil over medium heat. While the oil heats, cut the two corn tortillas into strips about 1/4 inch thick. When a wooden spoon can be inserted into the oil and bubbles form around it, you know the oil is hot enough. Place the tortilla strips - make sure not to crowd - and fry for about 30 seconds, flipping halfway through. This is a great topping for the salad!
Prep the salad ingredients, slice the romaine into 1/4 inch strips, dice the roma tomato, slice the avocado, and rinse the corn and beans well.
Assemble, top with a drizzle of vegan ranch, and enjoy!
