Apricot-Basil Chicken Salad

Apricot-Basil Chicken Salad served along with a few Multi-Grain Tortilla Chips
and a fresh, local peach make for a very satisfying lunch!

Recipe from Everyday Food (Darlene Rose Cook)

Adapted a bit and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 4

Chicken salad makes such a great lunchbox main.  I’ve made lots of different kinds of chicken salads and this one is a keeper.  We really like the crunch of the almonds and the flavor of the summer fresh basil.  The dressing has a nice tang to it and I like the fact that the recipe uses a mayo-yogurt combo. We enjoyed this salad with a ripe peach on the side.  When whole chickens go on sale, buy a couple and roast them at the same time.  Remove the meat and freeze in 3-4 cup portions.  (Use the carcasses to make Homemade ChickenStock.) Thaw the meat in the fridge overnight when you are ready to make chicken salad for your lunches. 

3-4 cups cooked chicken, shredded

½ cup almonds, toasted* and roughly chopped

½ medium (½ cup) white onion, minced

1 large celery stalk (½ cup) minced (include the leaves if you have them)

1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped

1/3-½ cup packed fresh basil leaves, torn or chopped

1/3 cup mayonnaise

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

1 garlic clove, minced

½ teaspoon paprika

5 teaspoons white-wine vinegar or champagne vinegar

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, almonds, onion, celery, apricots and basil.  In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, yogurt, garlic, paprika, vinegar, salt and pepper.  Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and stir together until all the salad ingredients are coated.  Serve.  Store in the fridge.

*To toast almonds, preheat the oven to 400F.  Place the almonds on a baking sheet.  Bake for 7-8 minutes.

Nutritional Information per Serving:  (This info is with 3 cups chicken, low-fat yogurt and 1/3 cup almonds.) 315 calories; 21.2 g fat (2.5 sat. fat); 18.4 g protein; 12.9 g carb; 2.3 g fiber