Chicken salad is a big favorite in our home, so when I make it, I always make a lot! The recipe I developed for this dish uses a sauce made from mayonnaise, herbs, Dijon mustard, and grated onion for flavoring, with delicate crunch provided by thinly sliced celery, and a topping of lightly toasted sliced almonds. Just writing about it makes me hungry! See my earlier recipe for poached chicken breasts to use as the basis for this summer main.
Luscious Chicken Salad
A perfect main dish for the dog days of summer, when you want to eat something cool and light, this main course salad is comprised of juicy chunks of poached chicken in a creamy sauce flavored with herb. The toasted almond topping elevates the dish to something really special.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup blanched sliced almonds
- 4 chilled poached chicken breasts
- 1 small onion
- 3/4-1 cup mayonnaise
- 1-2 heaping tablespoons Dijon mustard
- A splash of white wine vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon each chopped parsley, chopped dill, and chopped fresh tarragon (if no fresh tarragon is available, use 1 teaspoon dried)
- 2 stalks of celery, thinly sliced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place almonds on a foil or parchment-lined cookie sheet in a single layer. When oven is heated, place cookie sheet with almonds inside, and turn off the heat. Let almonds stand in the oven for five minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove from oven, set aside.
- Cut chicken into chunks, set aside.
- Quarter the onion and grate or process to a fine puree. Mix with mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice or white wine vinegar. Fold in sliced celery and herbs. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
- Fold sauce into reserved chicken chunks and taste for seasoning. If mixture seems dry, add a bit more mayonnaise. Chill until ready to serve.
- Serve topped with almonds, reserving some almonds to pass separately, for those who like to add more.