Creamy Asiago Dressing, Warm Grilled Chicken, and Hearty Massaged Kale all in one bite.

I dreamt up this recipe after working with another food photographer to develop a fall-inspired kale salad for him.  I created a super creamy, herb-y, cheesy dressing to drizzle all over that salad, and I totally fell in love with it.  This version of that dressing is scaled down to be a small batch recipe, and has a couple of tweaks (like Asiago cheese, Dijon, and different herbs).  It’s easy, it’s delicious, and it’s perfect with kale and buttermilk marinated chicken.

My Favorite Chicken Marinade for this Kale Salad:

I like to use as much buttermilk and fresh parsley as possible in this recipe, because otherwise they will just die in my refrigerator.  So the marinade for the chicken is buttermilk mixed with parsley (didn’t see that coming, did you?), and garlic powder, of course.  Plus a touch of salt and pepper, because those are always necessary.

Ingredients for the Buttermilk Chicken Marinade:

• 1 cup Buttermilk
• 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1 tbsp. finely chopped Fresh Parsley
• 1/2 tsp. each of Salt & Pepper
• 10 oz. Chicken Breast (ideally two chicken breasts)

I suggest a small, shallow pan that can comfortably fit two five-ounce chicken breasts.  I hate using plastic bags (Earth stuff, you know…), but a large zip-top bag works really well if you don’t have a dish that fits your needs here.

Marinate the chicken for at least two hours to make it super juicy and delicious.  You can also toss the chicken in the marinade the night before you plan on grilling it!  Just shake off as much buttermilk as possible before putting it on the grill / grill pan.

An Awesome (and easy!) Buttermilk Dressing with Asiago:

I use a lot of fresh ingredients (such as fresh herbs and garlic) for this buttermilk dressing, but you’re welcome to use dried herbs if you prefer.  I’ve listed conversions beneath the ingredients below!  This dressing is good as soon as it comes together, but is even better after it rests for 20-30 minutes.  Ideally, make this right before you get ready to grill the chicken, and the timing should be perfect.

This dressing can be refrigerated for a few days, but the garlic flavor will get stronger as it sits.  Just be aware if you plan to make it far in advance!  Fortunately, this recipe only makes 1/2 cup, so there shouldn’t be much leftover. 🙂

Ingredients for the Garlicky Herb-y Asiago Buttermilk Dressing:

• 3 tbsp. Buttermilk
• 2 tbsp. Mayonnaise*
• 3 tbsp. Sour Cream (or Greek Yogurt) 
• 1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
• 1/4 tsp. Sugar
• 2 Fresh Garlic Cloves** minced (about 2 tsp.)
• 1 tbsp. each of fresh, finely chopped Parsley & Chives***
• 2 tsp. fresh, finely chopped Oregano***
• 1/3 cup finely grated Asiago Cheese
• Salt to taste

*Not a mayo fan?  Substitute 1 tablespoon or extra virgin olive oil.  **1/4 tsp. garlic powder can be used if you don’t have fresh garlic on hand. ***Use 1 tsp. of dried herbs instead of 1 tbsp. fresh herbs, if necessary.  (In this case, 1 tsp. each of parsley and chives, 1/2 tsp. oregano).

Ingredients to build the Asiago Chicken Kale Salad:

• Kale massaged with olive oil & a little pinch of salt
• Grilled Marinated Chicken grilled
• Creamy Asiago Buttermilk Dressing
• More finely grated Asiago
• Toasted Croissant Croutons <- don’t sleep on this recipe!

Tips for Making the Best Asiago Buttermilk Chicken Kale Salad:

Have you noticed that I can’t quite figure out the best wording for this salad yet?  It’s a work in progress.  Here’s my tips for making the best asiago-herb-grilled-chicken-kale-salad you possibly can:

1. Marinate the chicken for a minimum of two hours.  The buttermilk needs time to work its magic with the chicken, so give it at least two hours to do so.  Ideally, let the chicken hang out in the buttermilk marinade overnight!  The maximum amount of time I would recommend for marinating chicken in buttermilk is about two days.
2. Let the dressing blend for 20-30 minutes before serving.  Is this dressing seriously delicious as soon as it’s made?  Yes.  Is it REALLY delicious after it blends together even more?  Absolutely yes.  The garlic starts to blend into the dressing and other flavors after it sits, so a little time helps that happen.  You could make the dressing and marinade for the chicken at the same time, too!
3. Massage that dang kale.  If you’re a kale enthusiast, you know this.  If you aren’t as familiar, massaging the kale is KEY to making it more enjoyable.  Raw kale is tough, chewy, and honestly just not great.  But once it’s massaged with a touch of (good) olive oil and a pinch of salt, it’s way better.  Trust me, take the extra minute to massage your kale to make it softer and tastier.
4. Don’t sleep on the Toasted Croissant Croutons.  I make these with one croissant, which is usually available near the freshly baked doughnuts at your local grocery store.  The bakery at many grocery stores bake doughnuts, bagels, croissants, etc. on a daily basis, so you can usually snag a single croissant for around $1.  One croissant will make enough croutons for two salads (or one salad if you really love croutons), so it’s perfect.  And easy, I promise.  Here’s another opportunity to get that recipe.

I think that’s it!  As always, I would LOVE if you tagged me on Instagram if you make this recipe! If you really love it, a comment / rating is VERY much appreciated, too.  And of course, if you have any questions at all, feel free to reach out to me directly so I can try to help out.

xx Sara