I love chicken salads. I have experimented with all kinds of ingredients and dressings in my chicken salads. Often it is leftover chicken mixed with whatever ingredients I have on hand. Classic chicken salads include a little celery and possibly onion with chicken making up the rest of the salad mix. Recently I made vegetables, instead of the chicken, the stars in the the salad to create a more nutrient heavy lunch. The salad has crunch, it has sweetness from apples, it has chicken, and it has a load of cilantro and spinach. Here is my version of a veggie rich chicken salad.
Salad Mix:
Cooked chicken-I prefer dark meat due to its nutrients and moisture
A couple handfuls of fresh spinach leaves
A half bunch chopped cilantro (parsley can sub)
A small handful of pecans (or other unsalted nut)
1/2 a chopped sweet pepper
3 chopped celery stalks
1/2 chopped apple
1 chopped small cucumber
Dressing:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
Dash balsamic vinegar
Dash worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
Directions:
1) Mix vegetables with chicken
2) Mix dressing ingredients
3) Toss dressing and veggie chicken together
4) Serve with lettuce, in a wrap, in pita bread, or try out making easy, gluten free, omega rich flax puffs.