Creamy Chicken Salad
- PREP 10min
- TOTAL 10min
I love this creamy chicken salad, especially the crunchy nuts and dried fruit. It’s also quick to make and lasts a few days in the fridge. We highly recommend the toasted sesame oil — it adds a lovely umami flavor to the dressing. A little goes a long way, so only add a few dashes (not more than a 1/4 teaspoon). When we have the time, we poach chicken breasts for this salad. Here’s our detailed recipe for how to poach chicken. You might also like this chicken broth recipe, which calls for poaching a whole chicken (perfect for this salad), and of course, this classic roast chicken.
You Will Need
For the Salad
3 cups (480g) chopped or shredded cooked chicken
1 cup (120g) chopped celery
4 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs like chives, parsley, mint, or basil
1/4 cup (40g) lightly toasted nuts like sliced almonds, walnuts, pecans or pine nuts
1/4 cup (40g) dried fruit like golden raisins, cranberries, dates, or blueberries
For the Dressing
1/2 cup (110g) mayonnaise, see homemade mayo
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 to 4 small dashes toasted sesame oil (scant 1/4 teaspoon), optional
1 to 2 teaspoons jam, optional
Directions
Combine the chicken, celery, herbs, nuts, and dried fruit in a medium mixing bowl.
Mix the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Taste, then add the optional ingredients. Toasted sesame oil adds umami (a little goes a long way), and the jam sweetens the dressing.
Toss the dressing with the salad. Taste, then adjust with more salt and pepper.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: When stored in an airtight container, chicken salad stays in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days, which is excellent news because, as I mentioned above, the salad tastes great the moment you make it, but give it a day in the fridge, and it tastes even better.
- In addition to or as a substitute for the dried fruit, add a handful of fresh fruit like halved grapes or chopped apples.
- For a lighter chicken salad, swap the mayonnaise for light mayo or use plain or Greek yogurt.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.