This Chicken Blue Cheese Salad with Passion Fruit Truffle Dressing is an explosion of flavors in every bite! Spring Mix is covered with chicken bites, crumbled blue cheese, bacon bits, and tortilla strips, and to balance the salty ingredients, add caramelized nuts and clementine with a drizzle of rich and creamy passion fruit truffle dressing.

Why Do I Love It

La Dolcerie Café Bistro is a great restaurant back in Santo Domingo. To many Dominicans (and me), it encompasses the 3 Bs of a good restaurant, “Bueno, Bonito y Barato,” which translates to “Good, Pretty, and Cheap.” Let’s be clear this is far from a Hole in the Wall. It is nicely decorated, and they have a friendly staff, excellent service, and delicious food. It does a great job of balancing and projecting a fair price for the quality of its services and the food.

La Dolcerie Café Bistro has an extensive menu and a wide range of cuisines, from Dominican, to Italian, Japanese, and even Venezuelan. It is the perfect place to go with big groups because they have options for everyone; most importantly, it has remained consistent true out the years. So, whenever I travel back home, at least once in my trip, I’ll end up at La Dolcerie Café Bistro.

La Dolcerie Café Bistro has a few iconic dishes; one of the most popular is their “Signature Lady Blue Salad.” This salad has the perfect savory / sweet balance and crunch in every bite. It is likely why it has become their signature salad.

If you plan to travel to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, I encourage you to dine at La Dolcerie Café Bistro. Try their Lady Blue Signature Salad. When you head back home, try out this recipe and let me know in the comments below if I have accomplished my goal.

This is my attempt to re-create this delicious salad to satisfy my cravings.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

What Are the Ingredients

For the Salad

Chicken Breast: I like to cut it in small cubes, but you can slice it instead.
Spring Mix: I believe spring mix is what is used as a base in the original recipe, but you can substitute if for Romaine Lettuce or Butter Lettuce.
Blue Cheese: You can use Gorgonzola as a substitute
Bacon Bits: Adds crunchy texture to the salad
Tortilla Strips: If you like it crispier, you que toast in oven por a couple of minutes to enhance the crunchy texture even more before adding it to the salad.
Caramelized Nuts
Clementine: this adds a tangy citrus and refreshing flavor to the overall salad

For the Dressing

Passion Fruit Pulp: In Miami, you can find fruit pulp in supermarkets. The most common brands are “El Sembrador” or “Goya.”
Honey: For this recipe, I used Raw Honey
Plain Greek Yoghurt: Use full-fat Greek yogurt.
Truffle Oil: Ah! This right here is the best. I used Roland Black Truffle Oil for this recipe. You can find it in the supermarket.
Salt
Pepper

How to Make Chicken Blue Cheese Salad with Passion Fruit Truffle Dressing

Prepare the chicken:

Preheat your grill or stovetop grill pan over medium-high heat.
Rub the chicken breasts with avocado oil, and season them with salt and pepper.
Grill the chicken for about 4-6 minutes per side or until cooked through.
Turn off the heat and cover in pan for 2 more minutes.
Once cooked, transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for a few minutes. Then, cut it into small cubes.
Set aside

Prepare the dressing:

In a small bowl, whisk together the passion fruit pulp, honey, Greek yogurt, truffle oil, salt, and pepper, until well combined.
Set aside the dressing for later use.

Assemble the Salad:

Combine the spring mix salad greens, blue cheese, bacon bits, tortilla strips, caramelized nuts, clementine, and chicken cubes in a large bowl.
Toss the salad ingredients gently to combine.

Drizzle with the passion fruit truffle dressing:

Pour the Passion Fruit Truffle dressing over the Salad, starting with a small amount and adding more as desired.
Toss the Salad again, ensuring each ingredient is coated with the dressing.

Serve and enjoy:

Divide the Chicken Blue Cheese Salad with Passion Fruit Truffle Dressing among individual plates or serve it family-style in a large salad bowl.
Garnish with additional blue cheese crumbles and tortilla strips if desired.
Serve immediately and enjoy the burst of flavors!

Tips

Choose quality blue cheese: Opt for a high-quality blue cheese with a creamy and tangy flavor. It will elevate the taste of the salad. Consider varieties like Roquefort, Gorgonzola, or Danish blue cheese.
Adjust dressing consistency: The dressing should have a balance between tanginess, sweetness, and creaminess. If you prefer a thinner consistency, add a little more passion fruit juice. If you prefer a thicker consistency, reduce the amount of passion fruit juice.
Control the dressing amount: Start by adding a small amount of dressing to the salad, and gradually increase it as desired. Toss the salad gently to coat each ingredient evenly. You don’t want the salad to be overdressed or soggy.
Customize the salad greens: Feel free to experiment with different types of salad greens. You can use a mixture of baby spinach, arugula, kale, or any other leafy greens you prefer. This adds variety and nutritional value to the salad.
Make it ahead: You can prepare the grilled chicken, dressing, and salad ingredients in advance. Store them separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Assemble the salad just before serving to maintain its freshness and crunchiness.