Zuni Cafe-Inspired Warm Chicken Salad with Greens and Craggy Croutons
A weeknight-easy dinner inspired by the iconic roast chicken from San Francisco's Zuni Cafe. It's a salad of chicories and bitter greens with big crusty croutons, a savory dressing, and warm rotisserie chicken.
Ingredients
- 1 whole rotisserie chicken
- 2 thick slices crusty bread, such as levain, torn into big croutons (3 cups)
- 5 scallions, thinly sliced white and light green parts only
- 1/4 rounded teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning the bread
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 3 tablespoons champagne, white, or red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons white or mellow miso (sub Dijon mustard if you don't have miso)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small clove garlic
- 5 big handfuls torn bitter greens/chicories (escarole, arugula, endive, radicchio, baby kale, mustard greens, frisée)
- 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
- 3 tablespoons dried currants or golden raisins
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400°F.
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Use your hands to break down the chicken, pulling all of the meat off the bones and into large, 2 to 4-bite pieces. You can keep the skin on or discard (I tend to go skinless for this dish). Save any juices that pooled in the rotisserie chicken container.
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Pile the croutons, scallions, and pinch or 2 of salt on a large baking sheet. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over the croutons and rub everything into the bread. Spread the croutons out and toast just until they begin to brown on the edges, 5 minutes. Remove from oven.
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In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, miso, salt, and several generous grinds of black pepper. Microplane the garlic into the bowl and add the remaining 1/2 cup (minus 1 tablespoon) olive oil. Whisk well to blend.
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Transfer the croutons to a big bowl (set the nuts aside for now). Drizzle a few tablespoons of the dressing and 1 to 2 tablespoons of the chicken juices over the croutons. Toss well and transfer to a large platter
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Put the greens/chicories, walnuts, and currants into the same bowl you used to toss the croutons. Add enough dressing to evenly coat the greens (you should have a little dressing left over). Add the greens to the platter with the croutons and toss well.
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Tuck pieces of warm rotisserie chicken into the salad. For four servings as a main dish, you will likely use most of the chicken. Drizzle what remains of the dressing over the salad. Taste and add more salt, olive oil, or vinegar, as needed. Serve immediately. If you have leftovers, they will keep overnight in the fridge.