Description
This vibrant and wholesome Chicken Salad combines tender cooked chicken breast with crunchy celery, sweet red grapes, chopped almonds, and fresh herbs, all tied together with a creamy plant-based mayonnaise dressing. Ready in under 20 minutes, it is a nutritious, customizable, and refreshing meal perfect for quick lunches or meal prep.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1 cup red grapes, halved
- 1/2 cup chopped almonds
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
Dressing Ingredients
- 1/2 cup plant-based mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (natural)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Start with cooked chicken breast that is either shredded by hand or diced into bite-sized pieces. You can use oven-roasted, poached, or grilled chicken depending on your preference for texture and flavor.
- Chop the Vegetables and Fruits: Dice celery, halve the grapes, and finely chop parsley and dill. Preparing these ingredients uniformly ensures every forkful is balanced and full of color and texture.
- Mix the Dressing: In a separate bowl, combine plant-based mayonnaise, Dijon mustard (natural), fresh lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Stir well to achieve a creamy, tangy dressing that will bring the chicken salad together.
- Combine All Ingredients: Gently fold the chicken, celery, grapes, almonds, and herbs into the dressing. Mixing carefully helps maintain the crunch and freshness of each ingredient without turning the salad mushy.
- Chill and Serve: Allow the chicken salad to chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This resting time lets the flavors meld beautifully and makes for a refreshing, tasty lunch.
Notes
- Use freshly cooked chicken for the best texture and flavor in your salad.
- Add nuts and celery just before serving to maintain crispness.
- Adjust lemon juice and mustard levels to suit your taste preferences.
- Chilling the salad enhances the freshness and lets flavors marry.
- Use quality plant-based mayonnaise to bring all elements together harmoniously.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 350mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
Keywords: chicken salad, plant-based mayonnaise, quick lunch, nutritious salad, easy chicken salad, meal prep
