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
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 love Caesar salads!
I love that BBQ Dole salad kit you pictured! Yours looked delicious topped with guac/avocado! I also am looking forward to March Madness, I’m a big UofL fan (reigning Nat’l champs, what what!) so I am really hoping they make it back to the Final 4…and I would LOVE to win the perfect bracket so Warren Buffet could pay me $1 mill 🙂
I love any type of salad that has lots of toppings…toppings are the best part! Chopped salads are also delicious!
I love salads of all kinds because of their versatility, but a good Cobb salad is probably my favorite!
my random salads are the best! today i added garbanzo beans, beets, tomatoes, carrots, and cottage cheese.
Chopped salads are my favorite!!! 🙂 So much to put on!
My favorite salad is Thai chicken! Your recipe looks amazing. I don’t know what I’m having tonight but I just might have to make something similar!
I love lots of salads – but especially ones with Asian flavors.
Asian salad is my all time fave! And I belive it’s Sports Illustrated offering a million 🙂
I love all of the Dole chopped salads! I eat them for lunch during the week. My favorite is either the BBQ ranch or the bacon bleu cheese. I love this recipe – so creative!
1. Cobb salad and chop salad. I’m very excited about these new products!
2. That’s basketball, right!?! 😉
3. That would be Quicken Loans and Warren Buffet.
My favorite salad is one that I copied from Crispers…mixed greens, grilled chicken, strawberries, mandarin oranges and a balsamic vinagrette!! I could eat that EVERY DAY….I practically do!!!
I think my alma mater University of Florida will DEFINITELY be in the Final Four….followed by University of Michigan, Wichita State, and Syracuse.
And for Ryan’s question….Warren Buffett!!! We are over here trying to get our bracket TIGHT so we can win!!! A girl can dream….
I love Cobb salads!
My fav kinda salad is an inside out taco salad. Basically, eating tacos without the shells. Ground meat, loads of lettuce, taco seasoning, tomatoes, cheese and whatever else your heart desires. Man, delicious. I wish I bought ground meat at the grocery yesterday hahaha..
Those zucchini boats look SO good too btw.
1. I like Southwest-flavored salads with corn, black beans, and lime. Yum!
2. I’ll be cheering for VCU in March Madness since my alma mater is TERRIBLE at basketball (Virginia Tech)
3. I’m not sure, but that would be really nice to win!
It’s all about chicken cesaer salads around here lately. Crisp romaine & greens, chopped chicken and crumbled bacon, grated parm cheese, homemade croutons and lots of creamy dressing….. yum yum!
Any salad with tons of toppings! I love a spinach and kale base with various veggies, an apple or some berries, a nice meat or fish, and a tasty homemade dressing.
I love a simple kale salad with some good toppings and a tasty vinaigrette! I have no idea who will get to the Final Four this year, but I do know that Warren Buffet offered $1 billion for a perfect bracket.
I like salads that I just throw everything I have into. Leftovers, fruit, cheeses, nuts , whatever I can find.
Iowa State for the Final Four !!!
As for salads, recently I have been on a spinach kick.. but I am a weirdo and if I am cooking spinach, I have to rip off all the “tails”/stems because I think they get stringy when cooked and that grosses me out 🙂 If I win the billion dollars from Warren Buffet, I’ll be able to hire someone to pick all the tails off my spinach 😉
BBQ chicken salad with avocado is my go-to favorite salad. add fries and it’s the perfect meal!
I love starting with a spinach base and using whatever I have for fruit and veggies – strawberries, apples, green pepper, tomatoes, avocado, carrots, corn, etc. I always add chicken, almonds or sunflower seeds, and sometimes buttered sourdough croutons, and my go to salad dressing is raspberry vinaigrette – I never get sick of this salad because I can change it up each time I make it!
Now I really want a salad!!
Right now I’m loving spinach topped with a crumbled black bean burger and avocado. Yum!
I love Greek salad! Feta, onion, mushroom, Kalmata olives and tomatoes with a mix of lettuce and drizzled with some good balsamic vinegar is the perfect accompaniment or throw some chicken on it and make it a main dish. Its my go-to salad combo!
I’m really digging salads with shredded chicken with siracha and guacamole. YUM!
University of Kentucky!!!! Being realistic though- Florida is playing pretty well right now!! Your zucchini boat’s look very creative!!!
Any salad that has raw beets, raw zucchini, and mushrooms is a winner!
My favorite salad is Chinese chicken salad
I’m betting on Florida (went to school there), Creighton, Louisville, Wichita State
Warren Buffett’s company offered 1 billion for a perfect bracket
I love chopped salads!
Love caesar salads!
My favorite salads are definitely kitchen-sink-style with a greek persuasion 🙂 I start with spinach and top with cauliflower, mushrooms, broccoli, tomatoes, onions, beets, banana peppers, and feta cheese and then some olive oil/balsamic/lemon juice. mmmmm so good
University of Michigan baby!! My alma matter and home to my heart. Ann Arbor is my favorite place
Warren Buffet! With Quicken Loans. The Quicken Loans office downtown Detroit is a cahrazy building
A local pizza place has a salad with pears, grape nuts and a wonderful house dressing. Its my favorite by far!
1. I lived abroad for awhile and LOVED Nicoise Salads (tuna, olives, egg, anchovies, onions, tomatoes). YUM! For some reason, they only taste good when other people make them though… gotta change that!
2. Hmmm.. I’m gonna go with Florida State and Nebraska! Go Cornhuskers!!
3. Warren Buffett! (I totally cheated and looked this one up..oops!)
That’d be Warren Buffet!!!!
My fave salad are ones with an oriental flair!
Chopped Veggie salads made by someone else
I love the strawberry poppyseed salad Panera offers in the summer the best!
Spinach salads are my jam!!!
Any salad from Sweet Green!
1. Southwestern and Cobb are definitely my go-to’s. I love any salad with an extra kick!
3. I believe that was Mr. Warren Buffet — I’m sure Ryan will get a kick out of seeing some of our answers!
My favorite salads are a classic wedge salad or a chicken Cobb salad (can you tell I love blue cheese??).
Favorite kind of salad is a strawberry spinach salad with feta cheese, mushrooms, and topped with champagne vinaigrette
I love salads with almonds, thin avocado slices and balsamic vinaigrette!
I love giant chopped salads with honey mustard. The bigger the better!
And I’m an alum of an upstate NY school so gooo Syracuse!!
I like all kinds of chopped salads that have lots of fresh ingredients with just a touch of dressing.
I am hoping to see at least one of my predictions of Florida, Duke, Iowa State, Syracuse, Arizona, and/or Wichita State make it to the final four this year.
I love adding pineapple, strawberries, and pecans to my salads and topping them with a citrus vinaigrette!
My favorite salad is Portillo’s Chopped Salad … I hope you know exactly what I’m talking about, since you’re orignally from Chicago!!! <3
I love a buffalo chicken salad !!
I have been on a bbq/buffalo chicken kick lately and those zucchini boats look amazing! I believe Warren Buffet is offering the money for the perfect bracket.
I love spinach salad with strawberries and poppyseed dressing in the summer!
I love chopped salads with strawberries, blueberries, pecans, and poppyseed dressing. This is such a great giveaway and it would be great to win.
Ah I love salads! I bring one every day to work for lunch so I’ve got to switch it up. I have seen these salad mixes and would love to try them! My favorite salad has to be a waldrof salad.