As warmer weather gets closer, my mind turns to dishes that are quickly made and cold. One of my favorites in this category is Chicken Salad. There are all sorts of variations on this theme, including recipes with chow mien noodles or green grapes! While all good when well-prepared, I like a simple, straightforward preparation with some toasted almonds and a twist of lemon. See what you think.
Chicken Salad
Author: OldGuy
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: American
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Ingredients
- 1 Large Chicken Breast with Rib Meat
- ½ Stalk of Celery
- 4" of Peeled Carrot
- 1 Clove of Garlic Crushed
- 1 Yellow Onion Slice ⅜" Thick
- ⅛ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Large Celery Stalk, Chopped
- ¼ Cup Slivered Almonds, Toasted
- ½ Lemon,Juiced, Seeds Removed
- 1 Yellow Onion Slice ⅛" Thick, Chopped Finely
- ⅛ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ⅓ - ½ Cup Mayonnaise (More or Less)
- Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to Taste
Instructions
- Place chicken in a pot and cover with water. Add the next 5 ingredients, place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Simmer until a fork inserted in the meat twists fairly easily. Remove to a plate and allow to cool.
- While the chicken is cooking, heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the almonds and toast until they begin to brown, tossing or stirring often. Allow to cool.
- Using 2 dinner forks, shred the chicken meat. Do this by using one fork to hold down a chunk of meat and the other to tear shreds away from the chunk. Place the chicken shreds in a bowl and add the chopped celery, almonds, lemon juice, garlic powder and finely chopped onion.
- People like differing amounts of mayo. The idea is to add the amount that you like to the chicken mixture, stirring and tasting often as you do. Once you have it just right, add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cover and chill one hour before serving.
I like to serve this on a bed of lettuce stacked with fresh, ripe tomato slices, then sprinkled over all with a little paprika and a colorful garnish on the side.
Tip: Boiling the chicken with vegetables according to the directions above makes a nice low sodium broth which you can save for other uses. I let it cool, then pour into a freezer bag and freeze until needed.
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