Walking Dead Recipe

Prep salad greens and vegetables

Wash and thoroughly dry the romaine, baby spinach and red cabbage. Chop the romaine into bite-sized pieces, shred the cabbage if not pre-shredded, and combine both greens in a large salad bowl.

Prep tomatoes and onion

Halve the cherry tomatoes and thinly slice the green onions. Add them to the bowl with the greens.

Cook and slice chicken

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Grill or pan-sear over medium-high heat for 6–8 minutes per side (or until internal temperature reaches 165°F / 74°C). Let rest 5 minutes, then slice into strips. Add to a plate to be arranged on the salad later.

Prepare bacon and eggs

Fry or bake the bacon until crisp, then drain on paper towels and crumble into pieces. Hard-boil eggs: place eggs in a pot, cover with cold water, bring to a rolling boil, then remove from heat and let sit covered for 9 minutes. Cool in an ice bath, peel and quarter. Set aside.

Add olives, jalapeño and croutons

Slice black olives if needed. Measure pickled jalapeño slices and croutons; keep ready to scatter on the finished salad for texture and heat.

In a small bowl or jar, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, sriracha, smoked paprika, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, honey, minced garlic, salt and black pepper. Whisk vigorously (or shake in a jar with a lid) until smooth and homogeneous. Taste and adjust seasoning: add more sriracha for heat, more honey for sweetness, or more lime for brightness. Chill for 10 minutes if time allows to let flavors meld.

Toss the prepared greens, shredded cabbage, cherry tomatoes, and green onions gently to combine in the large salad bowl.

Drizzle about two-thirds of the dressing (reserve some for guests) over the salad and toss gently to coat. You can add more dressing to taste.

Arrange the sliced grilled chicken on top of the dressed salad. Scatter crumbled bacon, quartered hard-boiled eggs, black olives, croutons and pickled jalapeño slices evenly over the salad.

Sprinkle crumbled feta or blue cheese over everything, then garnish with fresh cilantro leaves. Serve with lime wedges on the side for squeezing.

Serve immediately so croutons stay crisp. Offer additional dressing at the table and let diners squeeze lime to brighten flavors.

Leftovers: store dressing separately from salad in airtight containers. Salad components will keep better if assembled just before serving.