Buttermilk Chicken Breasts with Fennel Salad
This dinner salad features tender sliced buttermilk-marinated chicken breasts served over a lemony shaved fennel, arugula, and cannellini bean salad. Fresh and simple!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (60 ml) buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons (60 ml) olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground fennel or Italian seasoning
- 1 small garlic clove grated or finely chopped
- ½ cup fresh basil or parsley leaves chopped
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound chicken breast cutlets or boneless, skinless chicken breasts (see note below)
Fennel Salad
- 1 fennel bulb trimmed and very thinly sliced
- 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans drained
- 2 cups (40 g) baby arugula or spinach leaves
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup shaved or grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Whisk the buttermilk, lemon juice, olive oil, fennel or Italian seasoning, garlic, basil or parsley, red pepper and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add the chicken, turning to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes, or refrigerate up to 2 hours in advance.
- Heat a heavy skillet (such as cast iron) over medium high heat until the pan is very hot (a few drops of water should sizzle and instantly evaporate). Drizzle in about a tablespoon of oil. Cook chicken until it's no longer pink inside, about 3 minutes per side. You might have to do this in batches depending on the size of your pan.
Make the fennel salad:
- Put the fennel, cannellini beans, and arugula in a salad bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste and toss to coat.
Serving:
- Slice chicken ½-inch thick. Serve the salad on plates with the sliced chicken on top, then sprinkle with Parmesan shavings or grated Parmesan.
Notes
- Butterfly the chicken: With the breasts facing you lengthwise, cut ¾ through the center of thicker, long side of each chicken breast and open flat. Pound to an even thickness between two sheets of plastic wrap. Put the chicken in a large shallow baking dish. Instead of butterflying the chicken breasts at home buy ready-to-cook, thin-cut chicken cutlets in some markets.
- Marinate the chicken up to 2 hours ahead. The chicken will take less than 10 minutes to cook.
- You can cook the chicken on the stovetop or fire up your outdoor grill.
Nutrition
Calories: 314kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 28gFat: 19gSodium: 285mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4g
