Hot Chicken Salad
I know we're all ultra-focused on cooking and baking for the holidays now, but in the interest of balance, I think you're going to want to try this delicious and low-carb hot chicken salad. It's wonderful and will offset some of that holiday party eating!
I feel like I spend an inordinate amount of time trying to find that ever-elusive "Next Great Chicken Recipe". Sometimes I try a new one and feel kind of meh about it, but then there's the one that hits the jackpot and I find myself doing a V-8, wondering how I've lived this long without experiencing this unique sort of tastiness. This is one of those recipes and I know I will be making it many, many times! Not only is it relatively healthy and a salad that's somehow comforting to eat, even on the coldest days, but it's also pretty easy to make and versatile too. You can swap in and out ingredients you don't like or have on hand and double or triple this too.
You start by heating olive oil, garlic and fresh thyme in a saucepan.
Then you add the julienned carrot and turnip.
Once those are done, you saute the mushrooms until they're tender and browned.
The chicken gets cut into bite-sized pieces, lightly coated with seasoned flour and sauteed till golden brown and crispy.
Next you toss together the cooked carrots, turnips, chives, parsley and baby greens eventually topping the salad with the hot chicken/mushroom mixture.
Everything just works so well with each other--the tender chicken, earthy sauteed mushrooms, slightly wilted, but at the same time, crunchy salad. It's dinner perfection, makes you feel good and will definitely leave you room for dessert, which at this time of the year, is just inevitable!!
Hot Chicken Salad
Makes 2-3 servings but doubles extremely well
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 purple-topped turnip, peeled and cut into matchsticks
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
3-4 cups baby greens (I used a Trader Joe's bag)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
About 1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces
1/3 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour (or more if necessary)
2 shallots, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
The Recipe
1. Into a large cold non-stick saucepan, place 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the thyme and the garlic and turn the heat to medium. Add the carrot and turnip, season with some salt and pepper and saute the veggies until they're limp, stirring often. Transfer to a plate and let cool to room temperature.
2. In the same pan, heat the butter over medium-high heat and add the mushrooms. Saute for about 10 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the liquid disappears and the mushrooms are nicely browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, toss the cooled vegetable mixture, the lettuce, chives and parsley. Mix well.
4. In the same pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a shallow bowl and toss the chicken in it, to coat lightly. Saute the chicken in the oil until fully cooked through and golden brown on the outside. Add the cooked mushrooms and shallots and cook for about 1-2 minutes, stirring often, until the mushrooms are hot again. Add the vinegar and cook for another minute, stirring, to let it coat everything.
5. Divide the salad mixture between the plates and top with the chicken mixture. Season with more salt and pepper if necessary and serve immediately.
6. Recipe doubles or triples very well, though you will have to cook the chicken in batches or two pans.
Enjoy!
Note: Recipe adapted from Dishing Up Vermont by Tracey Medeiros. I tinkered with the amounts of spices, veggies etc and didn't serve it in a bread bowl like the original recipe suggests to save the carbs.
