Green Goddess Chicken Salad

With spring in the air, a thriving herb garden, and a hankering for chicken salad – I whipped up something new and extra delicious this past weekend. This chicken salad is so good that I’ve eaten it every afternoon for lunch over the past four days and will definitely be making it again in the future! If you love fresh herbs as much as I do, this flavor packed dish will definitely hit the spot. My recipe is light, bright, and perfect for a variety of occasions ranging from a casual meal at home to a cute brunch or picnic with friends & family. Plus, who doesn’t love a good twist on an old classic?

INGREDIENTS

• Raw Chicken Breast [ 1 to 1.5 Pounds ] or Cooked Chicken Breast [2-3 Cups]
• Garlic Powder [A Generous Sprinkling – About 1 Teaspoon]
• Ground Mustard [A Sprinkling – About 1/4 Teaspoon]
• Cumin [ A Sprinkling – About 1/4 Teaspoon] 
• Cayenne [ A Sprinkling – About 1/4 Teaspoon ] *Optional*
• Salt [ A Few Sprinkles – About 1/2 Teaspoon]
• Olive Oil [ A Few Drizzles] 

————————————————————————–

• Celery [6 – 8 Stalks]
• Chives [ 4 – 6 Long Leaves]
• Parsley [A Good Palmful – About 1/4 Cup When Roughly Chopped]
• Basil [ 8 – 10 Leaves ]
• Thyme [ A Few Springs]
• Mayonnaise [1 Good Sized Tablespoon ]
• Dijon Mustard [ 1 Teaspoon ]
• Whole Grain Mustard [ 1 Teaspoon ]
• Red Wine Vinegar [A Few Splashes – About 2 Tablespoons ]
• Finishing Salt  [ A Few Grinds ]
• Black Pepper [ A Few Grinds ]

TOOLS

• Cutting Board
• Sharp Knife
• Baking Dish
• Serving Bowl or Storage Dish
• Tablespoon for Mixing & Scooping Out Condiments
• Measuring Spoons & Measuring Cups if You Prefer Not to Eyeball It

EXTRAS

• Crispy Crackers
• Bed of Lettuce
• Toasty Bread

YIELD

This recipe will easily feed 4 – 6 people and keeps very well in the fridge if you want to enjoy it for lunch across the span of a few days.

Step One

Have fun! 

Step Two

Decide if you want to cook your chicken from scratch OR if you want to use pre-cooked chicken.

PRO TIP: If you don’t have the time or patience to cook protein from scratch, just use the breast from a good ol’, store bought, rotisserie chicken. If you’re not a fan of rotisserie chicken or can’t find one at your local market – prepackaged, fully cooked chicken breast will work as well.

> If using pre-cooked chicken, scroll down to Step Five.
> If cooking your chicken from scratch, continue to Step Three.

Step Three

Prepare your chicken for baking by first preheating your oven to 350°.

Next, slice the raw chicken breast into strips that are approximately 3/4″ to 1″ thick to allow for a quicker cooking time. If you purchase your chicken from a meat counter, you can ask your butcher to slice the chicken for you. You can also just buy pre-sliced, chicken breast as well. When I made this particular recipe, I used the Organic Free Range Chicken Strips from Trader Joe’s which was a great time saver!

Step Four

Place your chicken strips in a baking dish. Season both sides of the chicken strips with the garlic powder, ground mustard, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Drizzle the top of the chicken with some olive oil and pop them them into the oven for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, remove the baking dish from the oven.

Flip over each slice of chicken, place the dish back into the oven, and bake for another 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, remove the chicken from the oven, and allow it to cool on the counter for at least 20 minutes.

Step Five

Add the mayo, dijon, whole grain mustard, black pepper, and just a pinch of salt into your bowl. Stir everything together until it’s properly mixed.

PRO TIP: Since I always prefer washing less dishes, I oftentimes assemble any large format, deli style salad that I make in one of my bigger CorningWare pieces. I do this because there’s always enough room to mix all of my ingredients together & a lid which makes refrigeration a breeze. It’s also pretty enough to use for a party.

But obviously, feel free to use a separate mixing bowl to prepare your chicken salad before transferring it to a serving dish or storage container. Whatever works best for you my friends 🙂

Step Six

Rinse your celery, chives, parsley, basil, and thyme.

> Slice the celery into half moons that measure about 1/4″ thick.
> Finely cut the chives into tiny 1/8″ pieces.
> Give the parsley & basil a nice rough chop.
> And lastly, gently strip the thyme leaves off of their hearty stems.

Throw all of this verdant yumminess into the bowl with your wet ingredients. Gently stir everything together until nicely incorporated.

Step Seven

Dice your homemade chicken breast, rotisserie chicken breast, or prepackaged chicken breast into bite-size chunks before adding it into the bowl of celery, herbs, and dressing.

> If you made the chicken breast, add all of the drippings from the pan into the bowl as well.
> If you used a rotisserie chicken, add about 2 tablespoons of the drippings from the container if available.

Stir everything together until the chicken & the drippings are fully incorporated with the rest of your ingredients.

Step Eight

Last but not least, add a few splashes of red wine vinegar to your salad. If you don’t have red wine vinegar, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice will work wonderfully as well.

Give the chicken salad one last good stir, and taste it.

I personally did not have to add any additional salt since the mayonnaise and pan drippings provided a ton of flavor and seasoning. However, If you think it’s a bit bland, please add your favorite finishing salt a few sprinkles at a time until the mixture is seasoned to your liking. And if you think it’s a bit too dry, add some more mayo half a teaspoon at a time until you’re satisfied with the consistency.

Step Nine

Enjoy your bright and delicious, Green Goddess Chicken Salad over a bed of leafy greens, in a lettuce cup, on top of your favorite crackers, or in a sandwich!

Happy Eating!