California Pizza Kitchen ® BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad (copycat)

Here's another in our "copycat" recipe series. This one is overwhelmingly popular among California Pizza Kitchen customers and employees. It's full of crunches and contrasting flavors. I think you'll find it's well worth the complexity of the preparation, which is actually not that bad when you go for it.

For the Fried Tortilla Strips:
Vegetable oil -- for deep-frying
12 corn tortillas -- cut into 1/4" strips


For the Garden Herb Ranch Dressing:
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cold water
2-3/4 cups mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk
7 tablespoons sour cream
2-1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1-1/2 tablespoons thinly-sliced scallion greens and whites
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced fresh Italian parsley
1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon minced fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh oregano (or 1/4 tspn dried oregano)
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh basil

For the Grilled Garlic BBQ Chicken:
1-1/3 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons salt
4 boned skinned chicken breasts - (5 oz ea)
1/4 cup good-quality sweet-&-spicy barbecue sauce

For the Salad:
1/2 head iceberg lettuce -- cored, rinsed, dried, and cut 1/8"-wide strips
1/2 head romaine lettuce leaves -- separated, trimmed, rinsed, dried, and cut 1/8"-wide strips
12 large fresh basil leaves -- cut 1/8" strips
1 pound jicama -- cut 1/4" x 1/4" x 3/4" strips
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup canned black beans -- rinsed, drained
1 cup canned sweet white corn kernels -- drained
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 pounds fresh ripe tomatoes -- cut 1/2" dice
1/2 cup good-quality sweet-&-spicy barbecue sauce
1/4 cup thinly-sliced scallion greens

To Make the Fried Tortilla Strips:
In a deep, heavy frying pan, heat several inches of vegetable oil to a temperature of 375 degrees. 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.

To Make the Garden Herb Ranch 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.

To Make the Grilled Garlic BBQ 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 marinate 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-inch cubes and, in a bowl, toss with the barbecue sauce to coat well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

To Make the 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 scallion.

This recipe yields 4 main-course or 8 appetizer servings.

Courtesy of Virtuous Recipes Copycat Collection.