Chicken Pesto Zucchini Noodle Salad

Ingredients

• 4 boneless-skinless chicken breasts, well trimmed and cut into 2 lengthwise pieces
• 1 can chicken broth, preferably low-sodium + about 1/2 can water
• 1/2 cup diagonally sliced green onion
• 2 medium-sized zucchini
• Salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
• 2/3 cup purchased Vinaigrette Dressing
• 1/3 cup pesto
• 2 tsp. Spike Seasoning
• Fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. If you’re starting with raw chicken, remove any visible fat or pieces you’d rather not use, then slice each breast in half lengthwise.
2. Pour the chicken stock and half the can of water into a small saucepan, and bring it to a gentle simmer.
3. Add the chicken to the pan and poach it for about 20 minutes, until it feels firm.
4. Set a colander in the sink, drain the chicken into it, and leave it to cool.
5. As the chicken cools, whisk the vinaigrette dressing with the pesto, Spike Seasoning, and black pepper until you have a smooth dressing.
6. Once the chicken is cool enough to work with, cut it into large bite-sized chunks. Transfer it to a Ziploc bag or a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, pour in about 1/4 cup of the dressing, and refrigerate it for a couple of hours, or at least 30 minutes if time is short.
7. When it’s time to put the salad together, cut the green onions on the diagonal until you have 1/2 cup.
8. Trim the ends from the zucchini, then make a lengthwise slit part of the way through each one. This keeps the zucchini noodles from turning into extra-long strands.
9. Use one of the 3 zucchini noodle methods to cut the zucchini into noodles. A Spiralizer with the medium noodle blade works well here.
10. Place the zucchini noodles in a salad bowl large enough for everything, then toss them with the remaining dressing, using as much as you like.
11. Add the marinated chicken, any dressing left in the Ziploc bag, and the green onions, then mix gently so everything is combined.
12. Taste and season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper, then serve. This held up reasonably well after a night in the refrigerator, but the texture is best right after it’s made.