Love Letter to Chicken Salad
Chicken salad is both retro and timeless. Its fluid transitions from season to season and laid-back way of accommodating whatever you have in the refrigerator make it a natural for any cook’s repertoi...
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 4-6 Serving(s)
- 3 cups cooked chicken, preferably organic, chilled
- 1 to 2 Persian cucumbers, seeded and diced small
- 1 medium tomato, diced small
- 8–10 mint leaves, torn
- ½ bunch Italian parsley, roughly chopped
- 1/3 bunch cilantro leaves, no stems
- Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe at right)
- 1 cup pita chips, store-bought or homemade (recipe at right)
Lemon Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoon honey, preferably local
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Pita Chips
- .2 pita breads, opened
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Sprig rosemary, finely chopped (leaves only)
- ¼ teaspoon dried chili flakes
Preparation
Shred half of cooked chicken with a fork. Chop remaining half. Mix both chicken meats together in a large bowl. Add cucumbers, tomatoes, mint, parsley and cilantro; gently toss to incorporate. Pour Lemon Vinaigrette over chicken mixture and toss. Break pita chips into irregularly shaped pieces that are not very small. Fold pita chips into chicken salad.
Lemon Vinaigrette
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl until thickened. Set aside.
Pita Chips
Preheat oven to 225°.
Mix oil, salt, rosemary and chili flakes in a small bowl. Massage oil mixture all over pitas and place on a baking tray in a single layer. Bake 30 to 45 minutes, or until stiff. When cool, break pieces organically. Pieces should not be very small and be different sizes. Set aside for salad or snacking.
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