One of our regular and popular salads we make here that is in regular rotation that is a great addition to a picnic or afternoon out on the patio as we ease into the spring and some mild weather is a chicken salad.
For ours I like to season and grill the chicken, chill it and then dice it before folding it in with all the additional components. The addition of the grapes gives this a nice sweet balance to the savory notes in this classic compound salad, the pecans a nice crunchy element and the tarragon a subtle Mediterranean nuance.
Can be served on a nice buttery croissant with the addition of some tender bibb lettuce, tomato and bacon or place a scoop in an avocado half and serve on a bed of greens with some vine ripened sliced tomato.
Bon appetit, buen provecho and happy cooking! -Chef Mike
Ingredients:
2 lbs Grilled chicken thigh or breast, diced small (I prefer thigh meat for grilling purposes. Season with oil, a splash of red wine vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Grill over live, chill and dice)
1 stalk celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice
4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced or 1/4 cup sweet onion cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon or fresh dill
1 cup red grapes halved
½ cup toasted chopped pecans
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
½ cup prepared or homemade mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
2 teaspoons strained freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
In a mixing bowl, toss together the chicken, celery, scallions/onions and herbs. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Add to the chicken and mix gently until combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.