chicken salad recipe

ReFRESHing Chicken Salad Recipe

More energy per bite, in a low-calorie snack or no-cook main dish?

Yes, please!

This ReFRESHing Chicken Salad Recipe is easy to throw together using leftover roasted chicken (even from the store-bought type works) or shredded chicken from the slow cooker, instant pot or even good-old-fashioned stove-top cooked.

At my house, we serve it with gluten-free crackers and cucumber slices, wrapped up in a butter lettuce leaf like a green taco, or on a slice of Dave’s 12 Grain bread (for my non-gluten-free family members!)

Can’t wait to hear how you choose to enjoy this nutritious, easy snack or meal at your family’s table!

chicken+salad+recipe+pic+1.jpg

Here’s how to make our

ReFRESHing Chicken Salad Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1.5 to 2 cups chopped or diced cold chicken (shredded or roasted)

  • 1 stalk celery, finely diced

  • 1-2 green onion stalks, finely diced

  • half handful Pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds - we buy ours at the grocery store bulk section)

  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries

  • 1/4 apple, diced fine (choose a sweet apple if you like sweeter tasting salad, or a tart one if you like it more sour-tasting)

  • 2 Tbsp Greek Yogurt (or to your taste - can also use mayo if you prefer)

  • Sprinkle of each: FRESH cracked black pepper, Himalayan Sea Salt

  • Optional - to add a little heat, one sprinkle of cayenne or chili pepper

Instructions

Stir all ingredients together and either serve immediately, or you can refrigerate to serve later or take to a gathering.

This ReFRESHing salad makes a wonderful easy-grab lunch for the family’s busy days as well, as it can easily be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for a few days, up to a week.

Nutritionally, it provides energy through the high protein, healthy fat and fiber combination of the ingredients, yet leaves you feeling light instead of over-full!

Mediterranean Chicken Salad Recipe

Eating out the healthy way can be challenging – for many reasons in our family! Four kids with very different tastes and likes, a tight family budget and a need to stay health-conscience all create the challenge of choosing healthy meals while we are out. 

So we have found solace in one of our go-to restaurants in our southern Arizona town – Pita Jungle! The whole family orders to their liking, we make sure to go during “happy hour” between 3 and 6 pm, and we can both afford AND enjoy dinner occasionally away from home. This salad became a standby favorite for us from that restaurant. As a healthy foodie, I found myself thinking about it between visits (can anyone relate? haha!) I decided that making it at home couldn’t be that hard….and voila….it’s NOT!

So for any of you who don’t have the access to a restaurant like this, or just LOVE to enjoy a FRESH, simple salad entrée for quick family dinners, here it is!

Mediterranean Chicken Salad – Coach Bess style!

Ingredients

  • 1/2-1 lb chicken breast, grilled and diced

  • Romaine lettuce, sliced into ribbons and chopped

  • 1/2 cup sweet corn, roasted in olive oil stovetop for 3-4 minutes

  • 1 cucumber, diced into ½ inch chunks

  • 2 Roma tomatoes, diced into ½ inch chunks

  • 2 stalks celery, sliced into thin pieces

  • Handful cilantro, chopped

  • 1/2-3/4 cup previously made Tabouli (recipe link for this below!)

  • 1/3 cup golden raisins

  • 1/3 cup feta cheese crumbles (optional)

  • 1/4 cup toasted pinions (pinenuts - these are optional)

    Dressing

  • 1 lemon

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 1/4 cup water

  • 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup

Instructions

  1. Make sure that ALL ingredients are chopped and diced into the same size pieces before stirring together into a chopped salad-type dish. The chicken can easily be prepared ahead of time (previously grilled) and refrigerated, then use cold since this is a cold salad.

  2. Whisk the dressing ingredients together until completely blended, taste-test and adjust as needed for taste/consistency. Dressing should be a semi-thick mixture. Pour over chopped salad, then toss all together.

  3. Serve salad immediately for best taste and texture.

Make ahead items: Grilled Chicken and Tabouli - both can be made ahead up to a day or two and refrigerated. (Find the recipe for Coach Bess’ Tabouli HERE & her classic Grilled Chicken Recipe HERE)


The delicious dressing - takes just seconds to whisk together!

The delicious dressing - takes just seconds to whisk together!