Is there anything to dislike about chicken salad? Unless you are a vegetarian or vegan, or you don’t care for mayonnaise (Amy . . . ), what is there not to love? Tender supple chicken accompanied by a crisp crunch of celery, a little sweetness from the fruit of choice, all brought together by a delicate mayonnaise dressing. Ahhh! Sounds like the perfect lunch or snack to me. I love sandwiches because they deliver the perfect bite and I especially have a thing for loosely filled sandwiches. I’m always looking for more recipes to make that keep well, and are easy to make larger quantities without much more work. This is one of those recipes and I promise it will be a crowd favorite, unless the crowd is vegetarian or hates mayonnaise (Amy . . . ).
Notes: This recipe requires a fair amount of chopping, but it comes together in a cinch. It involves very little to no cooking, depending on what chicken you choose to use. In a pinch, you can always shred chicken from a store-bought rotisserie bird or you can buy prepared chicken meat; however, I would strongly suggest you try the simple poaching method, (recipe below,) to get tender chicken and a delicious broth simultaneously with hardly any extra work. The grapes in this recipe can also be substituted with other fruit such as diced green apple or dried cranberries. I love chicken salad on a croissant because, why not? But, it’s also a dream on sliced white bread, a simple roll, or on crackers.
Time: 20 minutesYield: 4 cups1 tablespoon lemon zest2 tablespoons lemon juice1/2 cup mayo1 1/2 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon black pepper1 teaspoon sugar2 tablespoons chopped parsley1/3 cup red onion, finely diced1/2 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped3 cups (about 2 pounds) poached chicken, diced (Recipe Below)1/2 cup celery, small dice3/4 cups grapes, halvedIn a small bowl, make the dressing by combining lemon zest, lemon juice, mayonnaise, salt, black pepper, sugar and parsley. Set aside.In a large bowl, combine red onion, pecans, chicken, celery, and grapes. Pour dressing over chicken and stir to combine. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
Serve as a sandwich on a roll, croissant or sliced bread; or with crackers as a light side or appetizer.