Curried Chicken Waldorf Salad

Chicken Waldorf Salad Over Mixed Greens

We have started a tradition of going apple picking around this time every fall.  This year, we came home with some of the biggest apples ever!  They were Melrose apples.  They are delicious; crisp, sweet and little tart.

I had also made a huge pot of chicken stock that day to make some hot soup to come home to (those recipes are coming soon).  So with an abundance of apples and a whole cooked chicken, I just had to do something to combine the two.  This salad seemed perfect!

This recipe is a much healthier version of an original that uses lots of mayonnaise!  If you don't have pre-cooked chicken already, the rotisserie chickens at the grocery store are a good option, but poaching a couple of chicken breasts is quite easy too with less fat and sodium.  I'll tell you how to do that below.  They turn out very moist and tender.

If you wrinkled your nose when you first read the word "curry" as my husband usually does, give this a try.  He says he doesn't like curry, but whenever I use it, he loves it.  The curry is not overpowering in this at all.  In fact, if you'd like, you can increase the curry up to 1 teaspoon.  I use Blue Mountain Jamaican Curry in this recipe.  I believe Jamaican curry is a bit sweeter than regular curry.

Served over a bed of greens, this salad is a treat for lunch.  My daughter actually took this to school today.  This salad packs up so easily as there is no dressing to worry about.

Curried Chicken Waldorf Salad

juice and zest of half of a lemon

1 heaping T. mayonnaise 

3 heaping T. plain non-fat Greek yogurt

1/2 t. curry

1/2 t. sea salt

black pepper to taste

1 - 1 1/2 C. shredded cooked chicken (in large pieces)

1 large apple, cubed

2 inner stalks of celery with leaves, chopped

1/2 C. golden raisins

1/4 C. chopped walnuts, toasted

mixed greens

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, mayonnaise, yogurt, curry, sea salt and pepper.  Add the chicken, apple, celery, raisins and walnuts.  Toss to coat all of the ingredients.  Serve on a bed of mixed greens.  Serves about 6.

Notes:

• In place of the golden raisins, you can use red seedless grapes.
• To toast the walnuts, place in a dry pan over medium heat.  Keep a close eye on them and toss them frequently until you begin to smell their nuttiness.

Poached Chicken Breasts

2 boneless chicken breasts

1 piece of lemon peel

2 sprigs fresh parsley

1 sprig fresh thyme

salt and pepper to taste

chicken stock or water

Place the breasts and remaining ingredients in a pan.  If using water, add about 1/2 teaspoon sea salt.  If using the chicken stock, omit the salt. The chicken stock or water should just cover the breasts.  

Bring the stock or water to a boil and immediately lower the heat to a very low simmer.  If you boil the chicken, the meat tends to get rubbery (yuk!).  Cover the pan, leaving the lid slightly ajar and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove from the heat, keeping covered and let them sit for another 10 minutes before removing from the pan. 

Allow the breasts to cool before shredding for the salad.