Living On Purpose: Chicken Salad

Who doesn't love chicken salad!!!? Well, I guess vegetarians don't BUT I do!

My husband and I are doing what we like to call "The Chicken Challenge" for the summer. We were eating out WAY TOO MUCH this past winter/spring so summer came along at the perfect time because we LOVE to grill out on summer nights. We don't eat that much red meat and are trying to lose weight and eat healthier so we are doing The Chicken Challenge this summer to see how many different ways we can enjoy chicken! Just for the record, I could very EASILY be a vegetarian and have been leaning that way over the past year so I will be looking for some great meatless options this summer, too, if anyone has any they want to share.

So, this is my version of chicken salad. Everyone makes it a little different; some like it smooth, chunky, with nuts or without, etc. You can omit the nuts and fruit if you'd like and it would still be just as yummy!

Check out my recipe below:

1 lb cooked chicken breast
3/4 cup mayo
3 tbls minced sweet onion
3tbls finely chopped celery
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 tbls brown sugar (yep - brown sugar) :)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I toast mine first)
1 cup diced grapes (green or red - whatever suits your fancy)
dash of salt
dash of pepper

To prepare:

Cook your chicken however you'd like (boil, grill, roast, etc). We grill ours because I think it gives it more flavor but you can do whatever you'd like.

After the chicken is cooked and cooled, you can cut it up however you'd like. It depends how we are going to eat it - if we are eating it in a salad with a fork, I dice my chicken. If it's going on sandwiches I chop it in my food processor. Do whatever you'd like!!

Toss chicken in a bowl when done.

Next, mince your onion and finely chop your celery. I use a food processor for both. Toss in the bowl with the chicken.

Now, add your brown sugar and garlic powder to the bowl of ingredients.

If you are adding grapes and/or pecans, add them here. I toast my pecans on the stove top and rough chop them and I cut my grapes in half. Then, toss in the bowl!