Inspired by California’s wine country this Sonoma Chicken Salad is my favorite way to each chicken lately. Brightened with orange zest, crispy celery, sweet grapes, verdant herbs, toasty almonds and zesty onions, this salad makes a fantastic filling between some delicious toasts or over a bed of fresh greens.
All these fabulous ingredients come together with a light creamy mayo based salad dressing. Best of all this recipe comes together in under 20 minutes with precooked chicken breasts.
Ingredient Highlights
- Chicken: poached chicken, store bought rotisserie chicken or even leftover chicken works really well in this recipe. The first two are best with neutral flavors, but a simple leftover cooked chicken that is not heavily spiced works well too. Good examples are lightly curried chicken, chicken cooked with Mediterranean flavors works just as well, but nothing too bold.
- Vegetables: Choose fresh produce for maximum flavor. Crisp celery, red onion or spring onion, ripe green grapes, verdant fresh chives, tarragon+ some dried herbs to bring out the flavors of the chicken. For a complete salad we like it served over a bed of crisp romaine or mixed greens. To serve in a sandwich baby spinach is great.
- Dressing: Dijon mustard, tarragon, thyme and chives, Herbs de Provence, freshly zested orange along with mayo and/or Greek yogurt to lighten the dressing.
- Add-ins and swaps: this recipe delicious as is, however a couple extra ingredients like some French cheese like Roquefort, goat cheese or gruyere would a great addition. Diced avocado makes a good dairy free option.
I swapped half the mayo with light Greek yogurt to lighten the salad, or if you prefer it the classic way, use all mayo. Toasted walnuts, pecans, pistachio are good swaps for almonds. As is green grapes for red or black.
Serving Suggestions
- Pile high your Sonoma Chicken Salad over a bed of crisp salad greens or romaine and garnish with additional fresh herbs and orange zest.
- For a heartier meal, consider piling the Sonoma chicken salad over toasted grainy bread and baby spinach or salad greens.
- spooned over crisp crostini as an appetizer.
Sonoma Chicken Salad(sandwich)
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs cooked chicken(poached, rotisserie or leftover cooked chicken shredded or chopped
- 1 cup chopped celery
- ½ cup diced green onions
- 1 cup grapes, halved
- ½ cup sliced toasted almonds
- 2-3 tbsp mayo
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tbsp Fresh chives or thyme chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh tarragon chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp herbs de Provence
- 1 orange zested, about 2 tbsp
- plenty of cracked black pepper
- flaky salt or kosher salt optional if needed*** see notes
Add Ons
- 4 cups salad greens or baby spinach
- toasted bread for sandwich
- crostini
Instructions
- Combine the cooked chicken, celery, grapes, green onion, and almonds in a bowl and set side.
- In an another small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt(if using). Honey, Dijon mustard, chives, tarragon, orange zest, salt***see notes and pepper, and Herbs de Provence.
- Pour the prepared dressing over the chicken mixture. Gently fold in until well combined. ( taste first to add salt,only if necessary. Rotisserie or leftover chicken is already well seasoned and may not need additional salt.).
Serving Suggestions
- The salad is ready to be served right away or can be refrigerated up to one hour before serving. Resting allows the flavors to develop. Serve the French Chicken Salad on its own, over a bed of salad greens, or tucked into a sandwich as a filling with some salad greens or baby spinach, or as an appetizer spooned over crostini.
Notes
***Taste for salt, add only if necessary. Rotisserie or leftover chicken is already well seasoned and may not need additional salt.).
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