Lil' Spring Chicken Salad with Tarragon

Warm weather food is approaching and nothing makes me feel more nostalgic than a chicken salad recipe! I get goosebumps every time I take a bite of this familiar dish.

Why is chicken salad so good? Seriously! Why do we love chicken salad? I love chicken salad because it's fresh, sweet, savory, cold, and creamy! And what makes this dish super creamy? MAYONNAISE!

Confession, I love mayonnaise! I know it's not healthy, I won't even try to deny it.

However, my mayonnaise intake is limited, and I usually supplement it with paleo mayonnaise from Primal Kitchen Foods!

If you're not at all a fan of mayonnaise, be sure to check out the substitution suggestions under "Optionals" at the end of the blog.

Here is the link to purchase paleo mayonnaise on Amazon:

www.amazon.com/s?k=primal+kitchen+mayo&crid=5R4RO6BDKL7M&sprefix=primal+%2Caps%2C178&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_5_7

Now, you're going to love my Tarragon Chicken Salad! I recently made it a tea party catering and the guests licked their plates clean!

Here is the recipe for my Lil' Spring Chicken Salad with Tarragon!

TIME: 30 Min

YIELDS: 6-8 Servings

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken breast or tenders

1 small red onion, diced small and divided

2 cloves of garlic minced

2 stalks celery, diced small

2 red apples, diced small

½ cup sliced almonds

1 cup chopped medjool dates

½ cup fresh tarragon, chopped OR 1 ½ teaspoons of dried tarragon (basil works too)

1 cup of paleo mayonnaise or olive oil mayonnaise

¼ cup white vinegar

2 teaspoons to 1 ½ tablespoon Pink Himalayan Salt, divided

½ teaspoon black pepper, divided

Method

1. Place the chicken, half the amount of red onion, and 2 minced garlic cloves with a teaspoon of salt and a pinch of black pepper in a medium sauce pot. Submerge the contents with water. Place the pot over medium-high heat on the stove to poach the chicken. Bring the water to a rolling boil, and then turn the heat to medium to simmer the chicken for another 15 minutes. Take the chicken off the heat and let the chicken steep in the water for another 10 minutes. Drain the water, and then chop or shred the chicken in a small dice.

2. While the chicken is cooking prepare the rest of the ingredients as listed above.

3. Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Add the chopped chicken, and then mix with your hands (use gloves) or tongs until everything is thoroughly combined!

4. Add salt and pepper to taste! Enjoy!!

Optionals:

- Add 2 cups of steamed asparagus dressed around the salad for garnish & extra nutrition

- Mix in 2 cups of raw spinach leaves for added nutrition

- If you hate mayonnaise (even paleo mayonnaise) 3/4 cup plain greek yogurt + 1/4 cup brown mustard