Paleo Chicken Salad with Herb Dressing

I made this on a Sunday and ate it all week for lunch (when I didn't order sushi) on lettuce with a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice.  It's the first time I've ever had chicken salad and it wasn't bad.  Keep in mind, the recipe is really time consuming.  It took a little over 2 hours to prepare.

Paleo Chicken Salad with Herb Dressing

from Bravo for Paleo

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 bay leaves

1 quart low-sodium chicken broth

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 cup unsalted, roasted almonds, finely chopped

1/2 large red onion, diced

1/2 bunch of asparagus, roasted and diced

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 roasted bell peppers (I used red), skin removed and diced

salt and pepper to taste

Mustard Herb Dressing

1/3 cup fresh parsley, tightly packed

1/3 cup fresh basil, tightly packed

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp minced garlic

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

fresh ground pepper to taste

Make the chicken: Put the bay leaves and chicken broth in a large pot with a lid and bring broth to a simmer.  Add the chicken and return the broth to a simmer.  Cover the pot, turn off the heat and let chicken steep in the broth for about an hour.  When done, remove to a large cutting board.  Shred chicken into bite-size pieces with two forks.

Roasting Bell Peppers: Preheat oven to 450F.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.  Cut the peppers in half and clean out seeds and rib meat.  Place them on the baking sheet skin side up.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.  When the skins are brownish-black, remove from the oven and immediately place the peppers in a large resealable bag.  Seal the bag and let them sit for 20 minutes, until peppers have had time to cool and "sweat."  Once they have cooled, pull the skins off, discard. Dice the meat that's left over.

Roasting Asparagus:  Toss asparagus with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast in the 450F oven for 5-10 minutes.  Remove and allow to cool, then cut into small pieces.

Dressing:  Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until combined.

Chicken Salad:  In a large bowl, combine chicken, garlic, roasted almonds, red onion, asparagus, basil, parsley, bell peppers, salt and pepper.  Cover with Mustard Herb Dressing and toss until completely coated.