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
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Avocado 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!
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I’ve gotta go with tuna salad with lots of celery! Hard to beat!
My favorite kind of salad is any sort of salad with chicken, bleu cheese, walnuts and fruit!!
Salads with avocado and tons of veggies are my fave!!
I love a classic Caesar salad!
I love Asian chicken chopped salad with edamame!
I know it’s not the healthiest, but I really love a good Caesar salad!
My favorite salad is a dark leafy spring mix with nuts avocado and goat cheese. Yum!
I love the salads you can get at restaurants with a million extra toppings — my fave has chopped nuts, cranberries, bleu cheese, apple slices and more — because I can never make myself buy that many things AND eat them all while their still good to recreate the salad at home!
I love spinach salad with carrots, sunflower seeds, and ranch dressing! YUM 🙂
Hello Julie,
Oh, my goodness! These 3 recipes look so yummy, especially the Zucchini Boats!
I would LOVE to win this Dole Giveaway!
Here are my answers to the **Giveaway** questions:
1. What is your favorite kind of salad?
My favorite kind of salad is an Apple, Walnut, Avocado, Strawberry, Almond, Jicama (with more in it too) Salad that I “created” myself last year.
2. What teams do you think will be in the Final Four?
Florida Gators, Wichita State Shockers, Villanova and the Arizona Wildcats
3. And a fun March Madness trivia question from Ryan: Who offered $1 billion dollars for a perfect bracket?
Answer: Warren Buffett
~Amy 🙂
there is a local cafe that we order lunch from a lot at work and they have a blueberry pecan salad. i recently discovered the amazingness of adding fruit to salads and I love it!
I love kale salads with just about anything on it! AND Warren Buffett offered the prize!
my favorite salad is waldorf salad on top of spring greens.
1. Caesar salad!!
2. Michigan to win it
3. Warren Buffet w/ Quicken Loans
1. I love a good Caesar salad, even though it’s not the healthiest
2. I think Florida, Michigan, Villanova, and Louisville will be in the Final Four
3. Warren Buffet
I have been craving any Asian salad, especially with some medium rare tuna steak on top! I wish that Wake Forest was a contender for March Madness 🙁
Bonus Question: Warren Buffett and Quicken Loans
I love blue cheese, dried cherries with pecan, and apple salads. It’s a Michigan signature salad an it is amazing.
I hope Creighton makes it to the final 4 — that’s where I went to undergrad. It would be so amazing if they made it that far!
I love a classic salad with great toppings such as Provel cheese and bacon bits. I hope SLU will be in the final four!
Caesar salad is my all time fav!
Chicken Cobb By far! Good proteins, lots of veggies and good fats too.
My favorite salad always starts with spinach and strawberries, then any other berries I have, goat cheese, craisins and some type of nut! Makes my lunch happy!
I know Delaware would never make the final 4 but it would be awesome. Thats where I went to school and we haven’t even been in the tournament since 1999. There’s always hope; any given Sunday!
My favorite kind of salad is one that is full of dark greens, fruit, and candied nuts. I don’t usually use dressing, so I use the candied nuts as my dressing. I am also a fan of a spinach salad with toasted pine nuts, with a olive tapenade dressing.
My favorite kind of salad is definitely a caesar salad and I’m hoping Ohio State will be in the Final Four. Go bucks!!
– pretty much any salad with goat cheese!
– DUKE!
I am recently loving chicken salad made with avocado rather than mayo, so your recipe looks like something I should try! And the answer to Ryan’s trivia question is Warren Buffett!
I love salads with nuts and fruit with vinegrettes. I also enjoy egg salad and tuna salad.
Ooh we buy a premade salad at the grocery that’s a Southwest theme, and it’s my FAVE! It comes with sour cream, tortilla strips, cheese, and like a chipotle dressing. So good!
I love any salad with goat cheese and either grapes or dried cranberries! Yum!
My favourite salads are anything Asian with sesame seed oil in the dressing or Taco Salads (there are so many takes)! Yum!
I love buffalo chicken salad, but I just bought the Dole chopped chipotle salad to try as a side with fishcakes for dinner tomorrow night. And Warren Buffet!
I recently made a sesame ginger chicken salad that was INCREDIBLE. The ready made salads are super convenient. Ill have to give this whirl!
I love spinach salad with strawberries, sliced granny smith apples, cranberries, pecans and walnuts ! YUM.
I love a good salad with spinach, mandarin oranges, chicken, sesame seeds, cranberries, feta and walnuts with raspberry vinegret. Really I love any salad. I have celiac disease so it’s really all I order at restaurants!
I have to try those zucchini boats you made! They look amazing!
I love love a good chicken cesear salad! I hate to admit that I think florida will be in the final four. Go Noles!
Also I’m pretty sure buffet (Warren not Jimmy) made than offer.
My favorite salad would have to be vietnamese chicken salad! Crunchy julienned veggies, crispy fried shallots, peanuts, and that sweet fish sauce and lime juice dressing!
And I’m hoping for my Golden State Warriors to be in the final four!
I LOVE all salads, really. I think I love every kind possible, lol.
mixed greens tossed with cucumbers, avocado, bell peppers, strawberry and either steak or chicken with panera Asian sesame dressing.
Louisville, Kansas, Michigan State, Arizona
Warren buffet
Your recipe looks delish! I love a chopped or caesar salad!
My favorite salad is a southwestern-ish chicken salad: greens, black beans, corn, chicken with BBQ sauce on it, mandarin oranges, raisins, red bell peppers, and garbanzo beans. Yum!
As for the Final Four…I can’t even name teams that are eligible…and I’ve never fille dout my own bracket…
I love any salad with feta! My favorite are spinach salads.
I love salads that incorporate fruit like strawberries and oranges and I hope to see Duke in the final 4!
I love so many kinds of salads but my favorite is probably a southwest chicken or shrimp salad. Second place would bean Asian style salad.
I love salads with apple slices, walnuts, and gorgonzola cheese! Delish!
I love spinach with chicken, edamame, spicy peanut dressing, crunchy noodles of some sort, basically all of the asian flavors!
Warren Buffet!! Such a crazy amount of money. Although a perfect bracket would be very impressive 🙂
I pretty much love all salad, it’s my favorite! I don’t know much about basketball, but I do know that Warren Buffet is the guy offering money for the perfect bracket. Weird!
I love you versatile salad can be! I usually add chicken, quinoa, salmon or some other protein source to the lettuce with lots of veggies! But I also love any salad that incorporates fruit!
That should say “I love how versatile”…clearly I haven’t had enough coffee yet 🙂
My favorite kind of salad is anything topped with avocado!!