Author Notes
Adapted from my mother's recipe, she originally called for poaching and seasoning chicken breasts. By using a whole roasted chicken, it adds flavor and depth you can't get without dark meat. This chicken salad is easy enough to throw together for a summer picnic or party, and adaptable to whatever you might have on hand in your kitchen. —Slimfender
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Ingredients
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1
whole roasted chicken, deboned and shredded into bite-sized pieces. Feel free to include some skin.
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1/4 cup
raw almonds, walnuts, or pecans, roughly chopped
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1/3 cup
cucumber or zucchini, chopped
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1/4 cup
celery, chopped
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1/3 cup
crisp apple or grapes, chopped, OR whole rasins
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1/3 cup
mayonnaise, greek yogurt, or a combination of the two
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1 teaspoon
whole grain mustard
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1 teaspoon
major grey's chutney, optional
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1 teaspoon
madras curry powder, or more to taste
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3-4 tablespoons
fresh herbs, finely chopped. I normally use cilantro, parsley, green onion, and celery leaf
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1/2 tablespoon
jalapeño, seeded and minced, optional
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sea or kosher salt, to taste
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1/2 tablespoon
olive oil
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2-3 tablespoons
lime juice
Directions
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Preheat oven or toaster oven to 325. Spread chopped nuts onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and fragrant. Set aside.
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Toss fruit and veggie pieces with lime juice and jalapeño, let sit for about 5 minutes.
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Heat olive oil on medium low in a small pan and add curry. Stir until fragrant, less than a minute. In a clean dish, incorporate well with mayo/yogurt, mustard, and chutney. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, mix shredded chicken with the fruit and veggie mixture, then stir in curried mayo mixture.
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Sprinkle herbs, salt and pepper to taste, and toasted nuts, and gently fold in until well incorporated.
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Let entire mixture sit for one hour, or overnight if you want it to get really yummy (my mom's word). Serve in lettuce bowls, on hearty bread, in a pita pocket, on a bed of greens, or with a sturdy cracker.
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