Description
Classic chicken salad brings Mediterranean flavors together with tender grilled chicken, crisp vegetables, and zesty herbs. Fresh ingredients and simple preparation make this dish perfect for light lunches or elegant gatherings you can savor with friends.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups (710 ml) chicken, cooked and chopped
- 1 cup (150 g) red grapes, halved
- ½ small red onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- ½ cup (120 ml) mayonnaise, light
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Prep Ingredients: Dice roasted chicken, halve red grapes, finely chop red onion, and thinly slice celery to create a dynamic and textural foundation for the salad.
- Craft Dressing: Whisk lemon juice, kosher salt, granulated garlic, powdered onion, and freshly ground black pepper in a compact mixing bowl until completely emulsified and smooth.
- Combine and Dress: Gently fold the aromatic dressing into the chicken and grape mixture, ensuring delicate ingredients remain intact while achieving uniform flavor distribution.
- Season and Refine: Calibrate the salad’s taste profile by incrementally adjusting seasoning, balancing the natural sweetness of grapes with the savory chicken undertones.
- Chill and Meld: Refrigerate the salad for 30 minutes, allowing ingredients to harmonize and develop a more nuanced and sophisticated flavor complexity.
- Store and Preserve: Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-5 days, maintaining optimal freshness and adhering to food safety guidelines by avoiding extended room temperature exposure.
Notes
- Optimize Chicken Selection: Use leftover roasted or rotisserie chicken for richer flavor and convenient preparation.
- Master Dressing Balance: Whisk dressing ingredients thoroughly to create a harmonious blend that enhances the salad’s overall taste profile.
- Preserve Ingredient Integrity: Fold ingredients gently to maintain grape and chicken piece structure, preventing unnecessary breakage.
- Chill for Maximum Flavor: Refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes to allow ingredients to meld and develop a more complex, integrated taste.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg