Portillo's Restaurant Chopped Salad
Ingredients
Marinade:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- ¼ cup dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Dressing:
- 1 cup light olive oil
- ⅓ cup red wine or white balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-2 teaspoons honey or sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
or
- 1-16 ounce bottle Italian-style dressing
Salad:
- 8 boneless, skinless, chicken breast tenderloins, or 2-3 chicken breast halves
- 1 ½ cups Ditalini pasta
- 10-12 cups romaine lettuce or a combination of greens, washed, drained and chopped
- 2 cups tomatoes, chopped, or grape tomatoes, halved
- 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 6-8 strips bacon, cooked crisp and chopped
- 1-2 bunches green onions, washed, and chopped
Instructions
For chicken and pasta:
- Combine all marinade ingredients and marinate chicken in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours.
- Grill chicken, chop, and set aside to cool. Discard marinade.
- Mix all salad dressing ingredients together. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Cook pasta according to package directions and drain, set aside.
For pasta and veggies:
- Chop lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Place in a large serving bowl or platter.
- Arrange cooked , cooled chicken, cooled pasta and veggies on top of greens on platter. Place in rows if desired (see photo). When ready to serve, toss or drizzle with dressing.
Notes
- ⅓ cup lemon juice or ⅓ cup orange juice can be used instead of the lemon juice and orange juice in the marinade.
- For meal prep, place all ingredients in separate containers. Toss with dressing just before serving.