Maybe they should change their name to California Salad Kitchen? You might think so after trying this copycat recipe. Romaine and iceberg lettuce with corn, black beans, BBQ chicken, herby ranch sauce, and homemade tortilla strips.
Fried Tortilla Strips
vegetable oil for deep-frying
12 corn tortillas, sliced in 1/4" strips
Garden Herb Ranch Sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cold water
2 3/4 cups mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk
7 tablespoons dairy sour cream
2 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoon green onions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh Italian parsley, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon fresh dill, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon fresh basil, minced
Chicken
1 1/3 tablespoon good olive oil
1 1/3 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons salt
20 ounces skinless boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup barbecue sauce (your favorite)
Salad
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded fine
1/2 head romaine lettuce leaves, shredded fine
1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
1 pound jicama, cut into thin strips
2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup canned corn kernels, drained
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 pounds tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
Tortilla strips: In a deep, heavy frying pan, heat several inches of vegetable oil to a temperature of 375 degrees F. Working in batches if necessary to prevent overcrowding, carefully add the tortilla strips to the hot oil, submerging them with a metal skimmer or slotted spoon. Fry the tortilla strips until evenly golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully lift them out with the skimmer or slotted spoon and transfer them to paper towels to drain and cool. Set aside, uncovered.
Dressing: In a mixing bowl, use a fork to stir together the mustard and cold water, forming a paste. Set aside for 10 minutes. Add the remaining dressing ingredients to the bowl and, using a handheld electric mixer at low speed or a whisk, blend together just until smooth, taking care not to incorporate too much air into the dressing. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Chicken: Preheat a stovetop grill or the broiler. In a mixing bowl, stir together the olive oil, garlic, soy sauce and salt. Turn the chicken breasts in this marinade and leave to at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Grill or broil the chicken breasts until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator. Cut the chicken breasts into 3/4" cubes and, in a bowl, toss with the barbecue sauce to coat well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Salad: In a large mixing bowl, toss together the lettuces, basil, jicama, Monterey Jack cheese, beans, corn, cilantro, dressing, and half of the Fried Tortilla Strips. Transfer the salads to chilled serving plates. Surround each salad with diced tomatoes and the remaining Fried Tortilla Strips. Top each salad with chunks of Grilled Garlic BBQ Chicken and drizzle the chicken with the barbecue sauce. Garnish with the green onions.
gennyblake
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reviews & comments
April 12, 2016
I was a little reluctant to make this because of the 99 ingredients the recipe calls for. But I've enjoyed this at California Pizza Kitchen and was curious as to how close this would taste. The answer? Spot on close and delicious! All those ingredients really gave it a complexity of flavors. And just like actual restaurant leftovers, I couldn't make it through the evening without having to eat a little more of what remained!
March 30, 2012
This was delicious! Made it pretty close to the recipe, except used a lite ranch and added some of the key ingredients (fresh herbs and spices, etc) But it came out amazingly close to my favorite CPK dish! Definitely a keeper!
July 27, 2010
We love this recipe. I leave the bbq chicken out and use this salad as a side dish. Everyone I make it for asks for the recipe. The dressing makes a lot, but it's so good, we use it on a plain green salad till it's gone. It will keep in the fridge for about a week.
May 29, 2009
This salad looked and tasted JUST like my favorite salad at CPK. Only issue was - it made TONS of the ranch dressing. With the BBQ sauce, we really didn't need much additional dressing. But the flavor was great!