Fruits, spices elevate chicken salad to a weeknight meal
Light but still satisfying, chicken salad is the ultimate lunch menu item. But it also can be dressed up with fruits and spices to create a quick and easy weeknight meal.
It’s easier still if you use a grocery store rotisserie chicken, which somehow always seem juicier than the birds I roast at home and takes just a few minutes to pick and chop into bite-sized pieces.
I like to use a mix of mayonnaise and plain Greek yogurt for the dressing, and always stir in a teaspoon or two of curry powder to add a little pizazz.
This recipe also includes raisins that have been softened in a little hot water, chopped Granny Smith apple and the peppery bite of scallions. Toasted sliced almonds are a must, both for the added crunch and nutty flavor.
If you feel like adding chopped dried apricot, fresh grapes, dried cherries
Makes: 4 servings
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons curry powder, or more to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ heaping cups cubed or shredded rotisserie chicken 3 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
½ large green apple, such as Granny Smith, diced
cup raisins, soaked in hot water to soften
¼ cup toasted sliced almonds
Handful of fresh, leafy lettuce
4 thick slices crusty bread for an open-face sandwich, or 8 slices for a regular sandwich
1. In a medium bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, yogurt and curry powder. Then add a generous pinch of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings.
2. Add cooked chicken, scallions and apple and stir until well combined. (If the salad isn’t creamy enough, add a little more mayo or yogurt.) Fold in raisins and toasted almonds. Stir to combine well.
3. Serve chicken salad tucked between two slices of bread as a sandwich or spooned on top of fresh mixed greens as a salad. or other dried fruits, go right ahead.
I serve the chicken salad on fresh baby salad greens, but it also can be scooped on top of a thick piece of crusty bread for an openfaced sandwich, or stuffed into a roll or between two slices of bread.
The salad keeps in the fridge for up to three days, which means you can spoon leftovers onto crackers to enjoy as a midmorning snack.