When I was in LA a few months back, my friends Ryan and Joe and I had one of those lazy Sunday nights where we couldn’t fathom going out to eat, or even ordering in. We rummaged through the fridge to come up with dinner on the fly, and it turned out to be one of my favorite meals of the trip. We grilled some chicken thighs with a really simple spice rub along with a bunch of scallions and tossed it with mixed chicories, jarred red peppers, shards of Manchego, and bottled ranch dressing. I’ve been thinking about re-creating it ever since.
My partner, Ryan, said that this is his favorite salad I’ve ever made. The man has tried nearly every recipe I’ve ever developed, so if that doesn’t sell you, I don’t know what will. While there are greens, it’s hardy enough to be a meal on its own. This version loses the red peppers (although they’d be a great addition if you have them on hand—I didn’t), leans into mixed greens, and uses a homemade ranch dressing.
A few notes to consider:
The spice rub can be made well in advance and stored in a sealed container at room temperature. The ranch dressing can be made up to three days in advance and kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Manchego is optional if you’re not into that double-dairy life, but I think it adds a great sweet and nutty flavor to the salad.
You can of course use premade ranch, but if you have it in you, this recipe really is better than the store-bought stuff.
Serves 4
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