Creamy avocado elevates humble rotisserie chicken in this easy salad recipe

Hearty chopped salads make quick, healthy meals, but they’re not always the easiest to modify for a 5:30 Challenge recipe. A classic Cobb salad or deli-style chef’s salad contains several, if not up to a dozen, ingredients, each providing a different texture or flavor. To make a five-ingredient chopped salad, you’ll need to rely on shortcuts and double-duty ingredients.

Bagged salad kits are easy to find in grocery stores (my local Publix carries several brands). Grab two bags of any chopped salad mix you like; most contain a few different lettuces and veggies in bite-sized bits. Discard or reserve the dressing and any toppings in the bags. Since the lettuce mix includes all of the vegetables you’ll need for the salad, there’s room to add a fresh homemade dressing, chopped protein and crunchy nuts.

I like a creamy dressing on chopped salads. Instead of single-purpose mayonnaise, a ripe avocado forms the base of the dressing, along with white wine vinegar and olive oil. Chop a second avocado to mix into the salad for bigger bites of its creamy richness.

For protein, cut the meat from a chilled rotisserie chicken into bite-size pieces. (The breast meat is easiest to dice, but feel free to add dark meat if you prefer.) And for the crunchy nuts? Pick out whatever seasoned roasted nut you’d like. Salt and pepper pistachios are particularly good here, but smoked almonds or candied pecans also taste great.

Chicken Chopped Salad

• 2 ripe avocados, divided
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 2 (11- to 12-ounce) bags chopped salad mix, any dressing and toppings discarded or reserved for another use
• 2 cups diced rotisserie chicken white meat
• 1/2 cup seasoned roasted nuts, such as salt and pepper pistachios

1. Slice the avocados in half and remove the pits. Scoop the flesh out from the skin and dice. Transfer half of the avocado pieces into a large bowl. Set the remainder aside for finishing the salad.
2. Add the vinegar, olive oil, 2 pinches of salt and a few grinds of pepper to the avocado in the large bowl. Use a fork to mash and stir to form a creamy dressing.
3. Add the salad mix, chicken, nuts and reserved avocado to the bowl with the dressing. Toss to coat. Season to taste with salt, pepper and vinegar and serve.