Ingredients:

  • 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
  • 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 tsp dried dill
  • 1 tsp dried chives
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 4 cups romaine lettuce, finely shredded
  • 1 cup English cucumber, diced
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 1/4 cup red onion, finely minced
  • 1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and dried
  • 6 oz grilled chicken breast, diced

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the dressing: Place the cottage cheese, almond milk, dill, chives, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and lemon juice into the blender.
  2. Blend until silky: Process for about 45-60 seconds until no curds remain and the mixture looks like heavy cream. Note: This creates the High protein ranch dressing that defines the dish.
  3. Shred the romaine: Slice the 4 cups of romaine into very thin ribbons until it resembles green confetti.
  4. Dice the aromatics: Chop the English cucumber, bell pepper, and red onion into uniform 1/4 inch pieces.
  5. Quarter the tomatoes: Slice the cherry tomatoes into four pieces each until they are bite-sized nuggets.
  6. Prep the protein: Dice the 6 oz grilled chicken and rinse/dry the 1/2 cup chickpeas.
  7. Combine the base: Place all vegetables, chicken, and chickpeas into your large mixing bowl.
  8. The big toss: Pour the cottage cheese ranch dressing over the mixture and fold gently with a spatula until every leaf is shimmering with dressing.
  9. Final adjustment: Taste a leaf and add an extra pinch of black pepper if you want more zest.