I’m a sucker for a good chicken salad. I love it on croissants, sandwiched between white bread, in wraps or even eaten right out of the bowl. While the mayo-and-celery combo is an all-time classic, I like to take it a step further by adding in some new textures and vibrant colors with red grapes, apples and almonds.
This recipe lightens up the otherwise heavy dressing by substituting Greek yogurt for half of the normal amount of mayo. It keeps the same texture and tang we all love, but cuts the calories and fat of the traditional dressing in half. From the tart apples, to the crunchy celery and the juicy, plump grapes, you won’t be missing the mayo at all!
To ensure the chicken stays moist and tender, I recommend poaching the chicken breast. Not only is it essential to a great chicken salad, this low-heat method cooks the chicken gently and prevents it from overcooking too quickly. This salad is perfect as a light and refreshing afternoon snack or lunch. Enjoy!
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, poached
- ¼ cup nonfat Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup mayonaisse
- ⅓ cup celery, diced
- ⅓ cup apple, diced
- ⅓ cup grapes, halved
- ¼ cup slivered almonds
- pepper to taste
- To poach the chicken, place chicken breasts in bottom of a small, heavy-bottomed pot. Cover the chicken completely with water. Bring to a boil, then quickly reduce heat to low so that the water is barely at a simmer. Partly cover and gently simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off heat completely, and allow chicken to remain in hot water for 15-20 minutes.
- Dice the poached chicken breasts and place in a large bowl. Mix in the Greek yogurt and mayo until all the chicken is coated evenly.
- Add celery, apple, grapes, and almonds to the bowl and mix in. Add freshly ground pepper.
- Enjoy immediately; store remaining chicken salad in fridge.
Senika @ Foodie Blog Stalker says
October 2, 2015 at 7:48 pmThis is almost EXACTLY how I make my chicken salad except I don’t put apples. And now I feel like I’ve been missing out! 🙂 Must try!