Chicken salad has been a favorite of mine for as long as I can remember. There are so many varieties, but I always liked mine with grapes and fresh pecans, the way my Grandmother made it. My family has always had pecan trees so they were easily accessible and used often when cooking and baking. Mayo is often a common ingredient in traditional chicken salad recipes, making it loaded with calories and fat. I wanted to replace the traditional mayo with a dairy free option to make this a protein and healthy-fat loaded meal I could eat while doing the Whole 30 or just as a way to adjust one of my favorite recipes to be more healthy. Switch it up how you like– but hopefully this skinny chicken salad recipe helps you enjoy this classic without the guilt.
If you haven’t discovered Tessamae’s, allow me the honor of introducing you. I’ve mentioned their products many times before (here, here), especially while doing the Whole 30. Well, Tessamae’s makes a diary free mayo that is certainly not lacking in flavor. I still use it liberally in recipes, but this is an amazing alternative to using regular mayo. I’ve made my own dairy-free mayo in the past, but this is super easy to keep on hand and is much less time consuming. Find it at the link above or in the fridge section at Whole Foods.
To get my skinny chicken salad recipe, keep scrolling.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 Whole Organic Chicken (or about 4 large chicken breasts)
- 3 stalks of celery, chopped
- 2.5 cups of grapes, halved
- 2 cups of pecans, chopped
- 1/2 cup of Tessamae’s dairy free mayo (add more as you prefer)
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1 teaspoon of fresh dill
- Salt + Pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
- Rinse the chicken. Place it in a large pot of water, turn on the heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the chicken until it is done (45 minutes to 1 hour). You can also bake your chicken, drizzled with olive oil, on 350 degrees for the same time. Whichever one, once it’s cooked, remove from heat and put on a plate. Debone if needed and then chop into bite-sized pieces and set aside in a bowl.
- Chop all of your veggies and fruits and place them in the bowl.
- Mix mayo, lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl. Taste and alter as needed. You can also add oregano, cilantro, or even a little bit of spice.
- Pour dressing over the chicken and stir gently until its all evenly combined.
- Serve & enjoy!*
*You can serve it over spinach if you’re doing a Whole 30 or serve on your bread of choice. I’ve also recently discovered Whole 30 approved tortillas– available with almond or coconut flour. Chicken salad is also great inside an avocado.
And now… for an amazing Back to School giveaway. Enter below:
Good luck!
