This chicken salad is great in a pita or on a bed of lettuce. Go ahead and try it either way!
When I was first looking at making this salad, I was looking for something different. In this case, I didn’t want the usual celery, onion, mayo chicken salad. Nothing wrong with that, I just wanted different.
I make a version of a chicken salad in the winter where I use diced apple, dried cranberries and pieces of pecan. Perhaps I could come up with a “summer” version of that salad.
I love dried fruits, and I use dried apricots in other chicken dishes. So I though apricots would work here instead of the cranberries. The pistachios took the place of the pecan. I ended up omitting the apples and not replacing them.
I then realized that the apricots and pistachios gave this particular Mediterranean profile. This meant changing the sage from my winter version. I still wanted a “warm”, so I went with the spices here.
Finally, I swapped the mayo with a lighter honey Greek yogurt. It makes a great binder, and the subtle hint of honey and lemon really complement this salad.
Apricots and pistachios add flavor. Warm Mediterranean spices add depth. And although this is my “summer” version, it is really great year round. This healthy Chicken Salad makes Mediterranean flavors accessible to anyone!
Chicken salad with Apricots and Pistachios.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lbs/225g chicken breast
- 3 TBS each chopped pistachios diced dried apricots, golden raisins
- 1 scallion sliced into small rings
- 3 oz plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 – 2 TBS honey to taste
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp each ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp sweet paprika
Instructions
- Combine spices and season the chicken w about 1 tsp of them
- Roast chicken at 350oF/180oC for about 20 minutes., or until fully cooked
- Shred and toss with pistachios, apricots, raisins, and scallion
- Combine yogurt, honey, lemon juice and about 1/2 tsp (or to taste) spice blend
- Fold yogurt mix into chicken
- Serve in pita with lettuce, in a wrap, or on a bed of lettuce