When we arrived home from a late morning hike with Sadie, I got to work in the kitchen while Ryan worked around the house. I was recently sent coupons to try the new all natural Dole chopped salad kits and encouraged to create my “best dunkable recipe” using the salad kits in honor of the kickoff of March Madness! (Stay tuned for a giveaway at the bottom of this post!)
Yesterday I picked up the BBQ ranch chopped salad kit at the grocery store and on today’s hike with Ryan, I wasn’t sure how I would transform my salad into a dunkable recipe until Ryan suggested making zucchini boats! I loved the idea and tried my best to keep my recipe healthy by incorporating avocados into the mix rather than mayonnaise when I made the BBQ chicken salad that I used to fill the boats.
Avocado BBQ Chicken Salad Zucchini Boats
PrintAvocado BBQ Chicken Salad Zucchini Boats
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 10 Zucchini Boats 1x
- Category: lunch, recipes
- Cuisine: lunch
Description
Such a yummy lunch that is packed with vegetables, protein and flavor!
Ingredients
- 1 bag Dole All Natural BBQ Ranch Chopped Salad Kit
- 2 cups pulled chicken
- 1 cup raw sweet corn (approximately two ears)
- 2 avocados, thoroughly mashed with pits removed
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons BBQ sauce
- 5 zucchini, sliced in half with centers removed
Instructions
- Open Dole salad kit and place all ingredients except for the BBQ ranch salad dressing into a large bowl.
- Add chicken and raw sweet corn to the salad.
- In a small bowl, combine mashed avocados, pepper, salt, lime juice and olive oil and stir.
- Add avocado mixture to chicken salad mixture and thoroughly combine.
- Add BBQ sauce to the salad and stir until properly combined.
- Scoop chicken salad into zucchini boats and serve with the BBQ ranch dressing if you wish. You may wish to simply drizzle the BBQ ranch dressing on top of the zucchini boats or you may need to add additional BBQ ranch dressing for dipping.
- Enjoy!
This recipe was crunchy, flavorful and filling! Since it makes a large amount, I am already looking forward to leftovers tomorrow!
Dole gave me permission to share two more delicious-looking dunkable recipe with you guys just in case you’re on the lookout for something delicious to make for an upcoming March Madness party!
Ingredients
- 1/2 pkg (12-oz) DOLE® Chopped Asian Blend
- 3 medium DOLE Green Onions, trimmed and thinly sliced, include one-inch of the darker green leaves
- 1/4 cup DOLE Carrots, julienne sliced
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 tablespoon Asian sweet chili sauce
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 medium ripe avocado, seeded
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 6 (8-inch) spring roll wrappers
- 12 fresh basil leaves
- Dipping Sauce (recipe below)
Dipping Sauce:
Whisk together 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger and 1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds.
Directions
- Combine salad blend, onions, carrots, rice vinegar, cilantro, sweet chili sauce, ginger and salt. Toss well and set aside.
- Mash avocado with lime juice and set aside.
- Soak two spring roll wrappers at a time in warm water 15 to 20 seconds or until just softened. Remove from water and gently pat dry with a paper towel.
- Place wrappers on work surface. Spread avocado mixture (1×6-inch rectangle) along the edge closest to you, leaving a one-inch border on both sides. Top avocado mixture with 1/3 cup salad mixture and two basil leaves. Roll it up like a burrito: fold side over the filling and roll up the spring roll. Repeat this step until all spring rolls are made.
- Serve spring rolls with dipping sauce.
- Tip: If you are not serving them right away, cover them with a damp towel and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Ingredients:
- 1 pkg. (8 oz.) low-fat cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese, softened
- 2 cups DOLE® Chopped Asian Blend, coarsely chopped, divided
- 1/4 cup diced DOLE Red Onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeno, to taste
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 1-1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup flaxseeds
- Offer a variety of accompaniments such as:
- Roasted vegetables – sweet potato slices, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower
- Raw vegetables – baby carrots, broccoli, radishes, red pepper or snap peas
- Baked crackers – lentil, seaweed or other whole grain crackers
Directions
- Beat cream cheese in mixing bowl, until light and fluffy. Slowly add in 1 cup salad blend, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, cumin and salt, until blended.
- Mold mixture into a ball and roll in remaining salad blend. Sprinkle with flaxseeds.
- Transfer ball to serving plate and surround with assorted raw or roasted vegetables and crackers.
- Tip: Make ahead and refrigerate until just before game time. Use a variety of colorful vegetables and grain-based baked crackers to convert your toughest chip-and-dip armchair competitor.
Dole Giveaway
And now it’s time for a giveaway! I think the salad lovers out there will like this one!
One PBF reader will win the following:
- Five free Dole salad coupons
- Two Eating Well cookbooks
- Tote bag
- Chopping block
To enter this giveaway, answer one (or all) of the following questions:
- What is your favorite kind of salad?
- What teams do you think will be in the Final Four?
- And a fun March Madness trivia question from Ryan: Who offered $1 billion dollars for a perfect bracket?
I will randomly select a winner on Monday morning.
Good luck!
i love a good bbq chicken/santa fe salad! the choice you made looks delicious- i may just need to pick that up!
Spinach, strawberry and feta salad! YUM
Chicken salad with craisins and avocado
Warren Buffett/Quicken Loans!
I love a big green salad with chicken! Yum!!!
I love most salads but a taco salad is always good!
That recipe looks amazing!!!
I love a good berry and nut salad! And being from Arizona – I sure hope Arizona goes pretty far! Warren Buffet is the man that’s offering up the money for a perfect bracket.
Duke to win it all!
I love Cobb Salad with big chunks of bleu cheese! YUM.
Salad is one of my all time favorite meals, because you can put anything on it and it’s still delicious. One of my favorite combos would have to be from the Whole Foods salad bar. I LOVE their pecan feta salad with balsamic vinaigrette topped with chunk chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, even more feta (because cheese = <3), either quinoa or wheatberries, and a scoop or two of their spinach artichoke dip with something crunchy for dipping! Mmmm! I want one now!
steak & bleu cheese salads are my absolute favorite!
Cobb salad. The kits look great, I’d love to try one!
I will answer Ryans question…Warren Buffet!
I love making a thai chicken salad with a peanut sauce!
Fave salad: spring mix, pecans, dried cranberries, bleu cheese, and raspberry walnut vinaigrette.
I don’t know who will be in the Final Four but I think Florida will win it all!!
My favorite kind of salad is fruit salad — hope that counts as a salad to everyone else! 🙂
I love a big salad with spinach and arugula!
I love a big salad with spinach and arugula!
My favorite salad is greens mixed with arugula and topped with dried fruit, nuts and seeds.
I love thai chicken salad! With peanut sauce, of course!
Yum! I love Asian salad blends! These kits look great!
I like spinach salads with bacon, egg, and onion!
Wow those all look so yummy! I don’t have an answer for the last two questions but I am obsessed with Greek salad!
I love a good grilled buffalo chicken salad!
I wish I knew enough about the tournament to win Warren Buffet’s $1 billion prize! I love most salads, but anything with mushrooms and bleu cheese always sound good to me.
I love big salads with blue cheese, walnuts, strawberries, and lots of vegetables! And hot sauce!
Favorite salad has cucumber, tomato, red onion, avocado and sunflower seeds!
I love greek salads with lots of feta and cucumber.
I love to mix whatever fruits and veggies I have on hand into a big salad.
My favorite is spinach leaves topped with pecans, feta, and strawberries. Delicious!
I love spinach, goat cheese and cherry tomato salads. Simple, yet delicious.
1. kale salad (steamed for 2 minutes so not completely raw), avacado, sweet potato,red onion, cherry tomato, black beans, nuts of some sort for a crunch factor. and a taziki light-ish type dressing or a blasamic is always good.
2. Louisville (will win)
Michigan state
syracuse
arizona
3. quicken loans…crazy.
I love all salads! The Dole kits are really easy to mix with spinach and arugula to up the nutritional content!
I love salads that incorporate both fruit and vegetables – they remind me of summer! I think this year’s Final Four will be Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida and UNC (essentially random guesses from someone who hasn’t followed anyone beyond her teams this year haha) . I have no idea what the answer to Ryan’s trivia question is. I guess I need to look that up!
i love all salads! my fav is either one with lots of fresh veggies and a healthy honey mustard dressing or a salad with fresh berries sliced almonds grilled chicken and a raspberry vinaigrette
and for Ryan’s question…Warren Buffett
My favorite salad is Caesar salad!
My favorite salad is any with fruits and nuts added with bleu cheese crumbles yum!
I love strawberry spinach salad, pasta salad, and seven layer salad
I love salads with tons of fresh, crisp veggies and either feta or goat cheese…also I’m sold on any salad with tortilla strips on it!
I’m a big fam of house salads with fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. And Warren Buffet.
1. Taco Salad!
3. Warren Buffett
Taco salad is my favorite! In fact, I ate it twice for dinner and twice for lunch this last week! 🙂
I’m a very big salad fan, but my favorite salad is a Mexican BBQ chicken salad. So delish! Quicken loans and Warren Buffet are offering the $1 billion award for a perfect bracket.
I love spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, a boiled egg with ranch dressing.
Greek salad will always be my favorite! I love it so much
Favorite salad: Harvest or Greek hands down
Final four Predictions: Florida State, New Mexico, Michigan State, and Duke
Warren Buffet offered $1 Billion for a perfect bracket
To answer Ryan’s question: Warren Buffet offered 1 Billion dollars for a perfect bracket.
A good steak salad with blue cheese!!! Warren Buffet 🙂
Any kind of salad with avocado in it is my favorite!