Curried Chicken Salad

Name: Curried Chicken Salad
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds roasted organic chicken; 1 firm ripe mango, diced into 1/4-inch pieces; 1/4 cup raisins or currants; 1/4 cup minced scallions, green part only; 2 stalks celery, diced small; 1/2 cup organic plain Greek-style yogurt; 1/4 cup mayonnaise; 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice; 1 tablespoon curry powder; 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/2 teaspoon sea salt; 6 butter lettuce leaves, washed and dried; 1/4 cup slivered toasted almonds (see page 97), for garnish; 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)

December 9, 2011

This salad was inspired by one of those gorgeous, colorful Bollywood flicks that offer a feast of singing, dancing, and romance. I love Indian food, as it was my first real introduction to all things curry. Only much later did I learn that turmeric, a typical spice in curries that gives them a yellow tint, has tremendous antitumor and anti-inflammatory properties. And to think, I loved it just for its taste! Here, I was hankering for a swirl of flavors with an Indian feel. The chicken makes a great starting point because it’s full of protein and amenable to all sorts of accessorizing. In this case, the mango and raisins play delightfully off the curry spices.

Recipe information

Yield
serves 6

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds roasted organic chicken

1 firm ripe mango, diced into 1/4-inch pieces

1/4 cup raisins or currants

1/4 cup minced scallions, green part only

2 stalks celery, diced small

1/2 cup organic plain Greek-style yogurt

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tablespoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

6 butter lettuce leaves, washed and dried

1/4 cup slivered toasted almonds (see page 97), for garnish

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Step 1
Chop the chicken into 1/2-inch pieces and put them in a bowl. Stir in the mango, raisins, scallions, and celery. Separately, whisk the yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, curry powder, ginger, and salt together. Add the yogurt mixture to the chicken and stir gently until thoroughly combined. Serve atop the lettuce leaves, garnished with the almonds and cilantro.
variations
Step 2
If you don’t have a mango or aren’t a mango lover, this salad is wonderful with diced Fuji apples.
Step 3
Making pita pocket sandwiches is a fantastic way to get much-needed nutrients into your body and fill your belly while you’re running errands, waiting for a doctor’s appointment, or otherwise on the go. Place a pita on a flat work surface and cut a 2-inch section off the top using a knife. With the pita lying flat, put in 1/4 cup of salad greens, then carefully spread 1/2 cup of the chicken salad on top of the greens, making certain to spread it around the entire cavity of the pita.
rebecca’s notes
Step 4
Save time by using store-bought organic roast chicken or, better yet, the leftovers from Orange Ginger Roasted Chicken (page 117).
storage
Step 5
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.
nutrition information
Step 6
(per serving)
Step 7
Calories: 300
Step 8
Total Fat: 11.3g (3.1g saturated, 3.8g monounsaturated)
Step 9
Carbohydrates: 15g
Step 10
Protein: 34g
Step 11
Fiber: 2g
Step 12
Sodium: 375mg

Recipe information

Ingredients

Preparation

Step 1

variations

Step 2

Step 3

rebecca’s notes

Step 4

storage

Step 5

nutrition information

Step 6

Step 7

Step 8

Step 9

Step 10

Step 11

Step 12

Recipe notes