Chicken salad makes a tasty light meal that is delicious for warmer evenings when you just don't want to cook. To save time, you can use chicken meat you get from a pre-cooked grocery store rotisserie chicken. Allow the chicken to cool completely for using it in salads.
Chicken Curry Salad
If you like curry, then you'll enjoy this chilled salad. This recipe serves four. It stores in the refrigerator for up to four days. Serve it with some steamed rice for a full meal.
Ingredients
- 1 pound cooked chicken meat, cooled (or leftover chicken)
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1/2 red onion, finely minced
- 1 red bell pepper, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- Juice of 1 lime
- Zest of 1/2 a lime
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss together the chicken meat, celery, red onion, bell pepper, and cilantro.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, salt, curry powder, lime juice, and lime zest.
- Toss with the chicken mixture. Refrigerate or serve immediately.
Variations
You can vary this basic recipe with a few ingredients:
- Try adding 1/4 cup of dried cranberries or golden raisins to the salad.
- Replace the lime juice with 1 tablespoon of orange juice and 1 teaspoon of orange zest.
Chicken and Fennel Salad
Fennel has a lovely licorice-like flavor that complements the chicken in this salad. To work with fennel, remove the core and stalks and slice the root very thinly. The recipe serves four. You can store it in the refrigerator for a day, but don't mix the dressing with it until you are ready to serve it.
Ingredients
- 1 pound cooked chicken meat, shredded
- 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 4 cups torn butter lettuce
- 1/2 cup chopped radicchio
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Juice of 1 orange
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss together the chicken meat, fennel, butter lettuce, and radicchio.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, orange zest, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Toss the vinaigrette with the salad and serve immediately.
Serving Suggestions
Try serving this with a delicious crusty bread, such as French bread. You can vary the recipe slightly by replacing the apple cider vinegar with an equal amount of balsamic vinegar.
Asian Chicken Salad
This refreshing salad has a classic Asian flavor profile with a little hit of heat at the end, making it a tasty and refreshing salad. It serves four. This recipe stores, tightly sealed, in the fridge for about three days, but don't mix in the dressing until you're ready to serve it. This is great as a meal on its own, or it makes a tasty side dish for an Asian stir-fry.
Ingredients
- 1 pound cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
- 4 cups shredded or torn lettuce
- 1 cups shredded purple cabbage
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1 red pepper, julienned
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Chinese hot mustard
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger root
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss the chicken, lettuce, purple cabbage, carrot, and bell pepper to combine.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Chinese hot mustard, Sriracha, garlic, honey, ginger root, and salt.
- Toss the dressing with the salad and serve immediately.
Variations
You can dial the heat up or down in this recipe by controlling the amount of Chinese hot mustard and Sriaracha you add. Try adding some julienned Asian pear (about 1 pear) to add a little sweetness to the salad.
A Healthy, Delicious Meal
Chicken is such a versatile ingredient, it makes an excellent ingredient to add to salads. With its neutral flavor, you can try it with an array of flavor combinations for a delicious meal.
