Tarragon Chicken Salad Made With Greek Yogurt

This recipe was inspired by a sandwich I've had several times at Julienne's in San Marino. As a low-fat option, the chef offers a chicken tarragon salad that's made with Greek yogurt instead of mayo. I'm not one to shy away from heavier fare but with this dish you really don't miss the fat. The salad lasts for 2-3 days in the refrigerator so it's an excellent weekday meal.

And about the bread (it's all about that bread)...

I've tried serving my chicken salad on everything from wheat to sourdough, but the marriage made in lunch heaven is olive bread. The saltiness of the olives with the sweetness of the pecans - so good. At Julienne's they serve the sandwich on soft rosemary currant bread which is also fantastic. My advice is to be creative since the chicken salad shines with bread that has a little something going on.

Recipe Tip

If you're going to make the chicken salad a day ahead, save any extra yogurt dressing (with the red onions, pecans, etc.) in an airtight container. I've found that the salad absorbs some of the moisture overnight and usually benefits from a couple extra spoonfuls of dressing. You should only have to make this adjustment once.

Chives and tarragon at Maggie's Farm - Santa Monica Farmers Market

Ingredients

Note: All measurements are for the ingredients after they've been prepped/chopped unless otherwise noted.

Salad

  • 2 - 2 1/2 cups shredded roasted chicken
  • 1/4 cup celery, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp red onion, small dice
  • 2 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp fresh tarragon leaves, small chop
  • 1 heaping tbsp baby chives, small chop
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • Handful of pecans, roughly chopped or broken up by hand
  • 2 (6 ounce) containers of lowfat Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 tsp flake-style salt Note: Cut this back a bit if you're using olive bread.
  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Serving

  • Olive bread
  • Avocado
  • Thinly sliced sweet pepper Note: The pepper I used in the photo is a Hungarian from Peacock Farms. I like that it has a touch of heat.

Directions

  • Combine all of your dressing ingredients: celery, red onion, fresh lemon juice, tarragon, chives, pecans, Dijon, Greek yogurt, flake-style salt, and pepper.
  • Shred the chicken and then fold about 3/4 of the dressing into the chicken. Add more to suit your taste, saving any extra for the next day (see "Recipe Tip").
  • Serve the chicken salad with olive bread (or bread of choice), fresh avocado, and some optional thinly sliced peppers.

Storage

Store the chicken salad in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

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