A hear
ty single-serving chopped salad packed with chicken, bacon, hard-boiled egg, avocado, and Gouda — every bite evenly coated in ranch dressing. A proper dinner in 15 minutes.
Servings
1
Prep time
15 min
Cook time
None
Total time
15 min
Ingredients — 1 serving
| Ingredient | Quantity | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Ranch dressing, or to taste | 2 | tbsp |
| Cooked chicken, cut into ½-inch cubes | ½ | cup |
| Black olives, chopped | 2 | tbsp |
| Large hard-boiled egg, peeled and chopped | 1 | — |
| Hard cheese (e.g. Gouda), chopped or shredded | 1 | oz |
| Cherry tomatoes, quartered | ½ | cup |
| Small avocado, chopped | ½ | — |
| Cooked bacon slices, chopped | 2 | — |
| Romaine lettuce, chopped | 2 | cups |
| Salt & freshly ground black pepper | — | to taste |
| Croutons (optional) | — | to taste |
Directions
1
Start with the dressing. Spoon the ranch dressing into the bottom of a large salad bowl. If you'd like a thinner, more even coating, stir in 2 teaspoons of water to loosen it slightly.
2
Add the toppings. Add the chicken, black olives, chopped egg, cheese, cherry tomatoes, avocado, bacon, and Romaine lettuce to the bowl on top of the dressing.
3
Toss thoroughly. Using tongs or two large spoons, toss the salad while pulling the dressing up from the bottom of the bowl to coat everything evenly. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
4
Plate and serve. Transfer the salad to a plate, top with croutons if using, and serve immediately.
Cook's notes
Why chopped?
Cutting everything into uniform small pieces means the dressing reaches every ingredient evenly and each forkful gets a little of everything. It also makes the salad far easier to eat neatly — no wrestling with whole lettuce leaves or oversized toppings.
Scale it up or down
This recipe is designed for one generous dinner portion. Halve it for two lighter lunch servings, or double the quantities for two full dinner salads. The ratios work at any scale.
Make it your own
Swap the Gouda for cheddar or blue cheese, replace the chicken with canned tuna or leftover steak, or add sliced radishes, corn, or pickled red onion. Rotisserie chicken makes this especially quick on a busy weeknight.
Nutrition per serving
| Nutrient | Amount | Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 1103 kcal | Saturated fat | 21 g |
| Protein | 45 g | Cholesterol | 308 mg |
| Total carbohydrate | 36 g | Sodium | 1413 mg |
| Dietary fiber | 24 g | Calcium | 340 mg |
| Total sugars | 7 g | Vitamin C | 45 mg |
| Total fat | 91 g | Potassium | 2238 mg |
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