CHICKEN SALAD GETS A SPICY AND SWEET KICK

Sabrina Ghayour gives classic dish a twist with rose harissa

I never get tired of chicken salad. Maybe that’s because that recipe title can refer to seemingly endless combinations of ingredients and flavors to suit any mood or whatever we might have on hand.

If you search for “chicken salad” in The Washington Post’s Recipe Finder, you will find nearly a dozen kinds, from mayonnaiseand tahini-based to mixtures with abundant chopped vegetables, nuts and fresh herbs.

When I got an advance copy of “Simply: Easy Everyday Dishes” by Sabrina Ghayour, which published last fall, I was immediately drawn to her light chicken salad made with rice noodles and a dressing flavored with harissa that is spooned atop lettuce cups.

It was a twist I had yet to try — and I’ve tried a lot of twists on this dish.

In her cookbook, the Iranian British author writes about being an only child whose parents did not cook. Rather than a negative, she viewed that as an opportunity, saying she was unencumbered by traditions or expectations, and that gave her space to experiment.

Her cookbook, “Bazaar: Vibrant Vegetarian Recipes” was one of The Post’s inspirational cookbooks of 2019. This one is equally intriguing. In it, Ghayour offers twists on traditional dishes, such as green hummus made with parsley, cilantro and tarragon. The ingredient lists are tight because, Ghayour noted, if she can strip one item out, she does.

While the chicken salad falls in “The Melting Pot” chapter, I’d consider it a twist on tradition as well. The dish calls for poached chicken and just a few ounces of rice noodles as well as raw carrots and tender green beans all tossed in a spicy-sweet dressing.

For her salad, she makes the dressing with harissa, the chile paste used in North African and Middle Eastern cooking that is made with peppers, olive oil, garlic and various spices. Ghayour calls for the version of the paste made with rose petals or rose water, which softens the chile’s kick.

I am a sucker for sweet, citrusy dressing with a kick, and this one delivers just the right balance for the mild chicken and crunchy vegetables.

Ghayour makes a point of noting that we should all substitute and omit ingredients based on our personal taste. I agree, so I’ve since made this dish with sriracha and substituted the full bunch of cilantro for a mix of equal parts cilantro and parsley.

Serve it as a meal. Or, place the chicken mixture in a bowl with a tightfitting lid and you can enjoy the lettuce cups over several days — as a quick snack.