I’m one of those people who just loves a good salad. It’s the one thing that I can always find ingredients in my refrigerator to put together. Now, salads can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make them. I’ve made cold salads, warm salads, hot salads, salads with three ingredients and salads with 15 ingredients. Salads are AWESOME!
One of my favorite salads is chicken salad. There are many versions all over the world, but it is said that, in the United States, the chicken salad was first served at Town Meats in Wakefield, Rhode Island, in 1863. The owner then, Liam Gray, mixed his leftover chicken with mayonnaise, tarragon, and grapes and the salad was such a hit that they converted the meat market to a deli and the rest is history.
Since then, there have been dozens, if not hundreds, of different versions of chicken salad. I’ve made several versions myself through the years, but today I will share with you my absolute favorite. This stuff is simple and fantastic on a bed of spinach or lettuce and it’s equally as good in between two delicious slices of bread. I hope you enjoy!
Cheers!
Stephanie
Click here to watch me make this recipe from start to finish!
Southern Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Poaching Liquid for Chicken
- 2 bone-in, skinless chicken breast with fat trimmed
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 4 sprigs of thyme
- 6 to 8 cups for sodium free chicken or vegetable stock
Dressing
- ½ teaspoon seasoning salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 small sweet onion, diced (I use Vidalia onions)
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped
- Juice from ½ of a lemon
Put the chicken breasts, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, Kosher salt, thyme, and rosemary in a large pot or dutch oven. Cover with the broth, and bring just to a boil. Lower the heat to low and cover. Poach the chicken for 20 to 25 minutes until it is firm to the touch. Remove the pot from the heat, uncover, cool the chicken in the liquid for 30 minutes or until cool enough to handle by hand.
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, discard the bone, and shred the chicken into bite sized pieces.
NOTE: Reserve the poaching liquid. You can put it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or store it in the freezer for when you need fresh chicken stock. Remove any fat from the surface of the broth before using.
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Add to the chicken and mix gently until combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Delightful & Delicious 
Nice recipe
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