This Healthy Waldorf Chicken Salad really is a quick and easy recipe to make in less than 30 minutes. It would be great for a picnic dinner on the beach! It has apples, celery, and walnuts with chopped chicken. I have a friend who is always telling me about how she makes it regularly…it is that good. It is low carb, gluten free, and a healthy high protein meal.
Do you hear that?
Neither do I.
That’s the sound of an empty house. This morning at precisely 7:04am the big yellow school bus roared up the hill with my two daughters inside and I was left here at home, with a cup of dark roast and a stack of work that has been waiting for me to get to for about 9 weeks.
I really don’t need to tell you I am busy because the fact that I haven’t posted since last Thursday should be evidence enough of that. One of the things that has been keeping me occupied was that I just finished up was a Power Point presentation for Blog Brulee. I am going to be speaking about food and prop styling and post processing in food photography. It is a great honor, so I really want to do a good job.
For the Power Point, I did a fair amount of slides with side by sides images, before and afters and process slideshows. It was kind of addictive and now I am pretty sure I will run out of time to get to half of it. While digging through old photos I found this winner from this Waldorf Chicken Salad that I ran back in 2011. It literally made me laugh out loud when I saw it.
I knew I had to include it as an illustration of what NOT to do.
But the recipe itself, sadly, is so good. It really should be on the Best of Healthy Seasonal Recipes list.
So I made a fresh batch, re-styled it without the swath of plaid upholstery fabric and artful napkin and and re-photographed it and here it is again.
This Healthy Waldorf Chicken Salad really is a quick and easy recipe to make in less than 30 minutes. It would be great for a picnic dinner on the beach! It has apples, celery, and walnuts with chopped chicken. I have a friend who is always telling me about how she makes it regularly...it is that good. It is low carb, gluten free, and a healthy high protein meal.
Ingredients
- 1.25 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
- ½ teaspoon salt plus a generous pinch for poaching liquid
- ½ cup plain fat-free yogurt
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons dry tarragon
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
- 1 large apple, finely diced
- 1 cup chopped celery with leaves
- 1 cup toasted walnut pieces, chopped
- 3 tablespoons minced red onion or shallot
Instructions
- Place chicken in a large saucepan and cover with water. Add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue simmering until the chicken is no-longer pink in the center, 12 to 16 minutes (depending on thickness.) Transfer to a cutting board and cut into bite-sized cubes and let cool 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, tarragon, white pepper, granulated garlic (or garlic powder) and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in apple, celery, walnut and onion (or shallot.)
- When the chicken is cool, stir into the yogurt mixture.
Notes
79 mg Cholesterol, 0.6 g Added Sugars
Mexican Chicken Salad Lettuce Cups
Twitter: bhatdixy
on August 26, 2015 at 9:07 am
im a big fan of chicken salad..will definitely be pinning this for future use 🙂
dixya recently posted…Virtual Coffee Date
This is a classic and a keeper. Thank you for pinning!
Katie recently posted…garlic rosemary steaks with kale walnut pesto
Thank you for giving us all hope! Hope that someday we, too, will be able to take a blog worthy photograph. Ugh! Good luck at the conference and thanks for this recipe. I’m going to share this with my Mom this weekend. Sounds delish!
KarlaJ recently posted…Grammy B’s Iced Coffee
Thank you so much Karla, though not every blog has to be about the photography. Right? Thank you also for sharing this with your mom. Have a great weekend.
Katie recently posted…kale with cider vinegar
Can’t wait to meet you at Blog Brulee this year! I have SO much to learn. Especially since I think that old photo looks better than all of my “good” food pics, ha! 😀
Emily recently posted…WIAW & 10K Update
I am looking forward to meeting you too Emily! It is going to be so fun! Ha ha. That isn’t true about my bad pic. Lol.
Katie recently posted…tzatziki with za’atar pita chips
I love the look of all these salads. I have never made a waldorf one as my husband doesn’t like walnuts but it certainly looks tasty and I like the use of the yoghurt to lighten out the mayonnaise.
Corina recently posted…Caribbean Three Bean Salad
Does he like pecans? If so try it with them. Also pumpkin seeds would work well too, but use a half cup instead.
Katie recently posted…kale with cider vinegar
Twitter: thespicyrd
on August 28, 2015 at 9:16 am
I’ve been doing the happy dance at my house since Tuesday morning when my kids went back to school. Ahhh…the sound of…nothing!!! 🙂 Love your salad Katie, and I’m going to add it to my weekly meal plan, since I get #nocomplaints from my family whenever I make chicken salad. Have a wonderful time presenting at Blog Brulee-wish I could be there to see your presentation!
EA-The Spicy RD recently posted…30 Ways to Boost Your Health with Wild Blueberries
It is bitter sweet. I miss them, but I am so frazzled at this point, it is great to get back to work.
Katie recently posted…garlic rosemary steaks with kale walnut pesto
It’s amazing to put photos side by side and really compare how far we’ve all come! I have similar recipes that I doubt anyone has tried because they’re old and not styled well.
I can’t wait to hear your presentation at Blog Brûlée in a few weeks and get to take advantage of the ability to be in one room with so many wonderful faces!
Marisa recently posted…My Freezer Essentials
I think everyone agrees that it was fun laughing about my earlier photos. It gives everyone some perspective! Great to meet you at Blog Brulee.
Katie recently posted…sharing my food photography tips at blog brulee 2015
I am looking forward to meeting you Marisa. And all the other people whom I’ve gotten to know online for so long now. We will have a blast!
Katie recently posted…kale with cider vinegar
It has been ages since I last had my waldorf salad. I love that open sandwich too.
Angie recently posted…Chanterelle Omelette and Sauteed Chanterelles with Fresh Herbs
I do love an open sandwich but the photo has to go. ha ha!
Katie recently posted…gluten free applesauce bundt snack cake