Chicken Salad with Fresh Herbs

Chicken Salad with Fresh Herbs

This Herbed Chicken Salad is a versatile and straightforward dish with roots in the traditional American kitchen, where making the most out of leftovers has always been a culinary cornerstone.

This is a refreshing “summery” version of chicken salad and is easy to make ahead. It’s a fantastic way to use leftover poached or grilled chicken, transforming it into a filling snack or light lunch. We always use the perfectly poached chicken for chicken salad when we make our homemade Chicken Broth.

The beauty of this chicken salad lies in its simplicity. With just a handful of ingredients, you can put together a delicious dish that is perfect for meal prep. This chicken salad can be used to make sandwiches, served on Crostinis or with a green salad to add protein. How easy this comes together is just an added bonus. The herbs, combined with a mayonnaise base, bring brightness to the dish, adding flavor while still keeping it light. This recipe is also highly customizable—feel free to adjust the herbs to your liking (tarragon works well here) or add other elements like diced apples or nuts for extra texture and flavor. You could also substitute our Homemade Kewpie Mayo. This salad is all about making something delightful from what you have on hand, making it a practical addition to your weekly menu.

Main Ingredients:

Chicken: The foundation of this salad is leftover poached, rotisserie, or grilled chicken, which adds an excellent level of convenience.  Whether you dice or shred the chicken, it will work perfectly with the creamy dressing.

Shallot: This ingredient adds a mild, sweet onion flavor that blends seamlessly with the other ingredients, providing just the right amount of bite without overpowering the salad.

Fresh Dill: This herb is the dish’s star, giving it a nice bright flavor without being too “dilly.” But be gentle when mixing to avoid bruising the delicate dill.

Celery: A few things go together, as well as celery and chicken. The celery is really lovely here, providing a much-needed crunch.

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Chicken Salad with Fresh Herbs

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Course: Quick Meals, Small Bites, Dinner

The beauty of this chicken salad lies in its simplicity. With just a handful of ingredients, you can put together a delicious dish that is perfect for meal prep.

Yields

3

cups

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

0

minutes

Total time

15

minutes

Cook Mode

Keep the screen on while I cook

Ingredients

• 2 cups chicken (cooked and chilled),
  diced or shredded

• 1/4 cup shallot, finely diced

• 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

• 1 1/2 tsp thyme, chopped

• 1 tbsp parsley, chopped

• 5 tbsp mayonnaise or try our
  Homemade Kewpie Mayo

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/8 tsp pepper

• 1/2 cup celery, small dice

• 1/2 tsp dijon mustard

Method

• Prep the Chicken: Begin with chilled, cooked chicken, either diced or shredded into bite-sized pieces.
• Mix the Base Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the finely diced shallot, chopped fresh dill, thyme, and parsley. These herbs should be chopped just before mixing to preserve their fresh flavors. Add the mayonnaise to the bowl and season with salt and pepper. Gently stir these ingredients together until they are well incorporated. This should take about 3 minutes.
• Add the Chicken and Celery: Carefully fold the diced or shredded chicken and celery into the mayonnaise and herb mixture. Be gentle with the dill to avoid bruising.
• Incorporate the Dijon Mustard: Add the Dijon mustard to the mixture. Stir gently until everything is evenly combined.
• Chill and Serve: If you have time, refrigerate the salad for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to marry. Serve as desired.

Field Notes

• RELATED RECIPES: Chicken Broth, Homemade Kewpie Mayo, Crostinis