This delicious, healthy recipe is a great way to use up leftover chicken or turkey. With Thanksgiving less than a month away, this is a good recipe to keep on hand.
I adapted my favorite chicken salad recipe from Ina Garten by swapping out most of the mayo with Greek yogurt to dial down the calories and increase the nutrition. A hint of honey balances the tartness of the yogurt. Cranberries and pecans are added for some flavor and crunch. Fresh tarragon is my favorite herb to add to chicken salad. It's the finishing touch in this recipe.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
EASY VARIATIONS:
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION per 2/3 cup serving: 226 calories, 10.2g fat, 8.8g carbs, 1.1g fiber, 6.1g sugars, 25.6g protein; Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 6
Step-by-step photos for making
Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Pecans
Step 1. Assemble the ingredients: chopped cooked chicken or turkey breast, Greek (strained) yogurt; light mayonnaise; fresh tarragon leaves, celery, dried cranberries, chopped pecans, salt, pepper, honey (not pictured)
Note about the yogurt:
Strained yogurt is thicker and will prevent your chicken/turkey salad from getting watery. Greek yogurt is already strained. You can purchase Greek yogurt, or make it yourself by straining regular yogurt.
Click to learn how to make Greek yogurt
Note about the chicken or turkey:
Use leftover chicken or turkey, buy a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, or cook your own chicken.
Click to view recipe for chopped, roasted chicken
Step 2. Chop the tarragon.
Step 3. Chop the celery.
Step 4. Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and stir until combined.
Done!
Serve the chicken salad on a bed of lettuce . . .
. . . or use it for a sandwich filling.
It tastes so rich and creamy, you wouldn't guess that it's good for you, too!
Make ahead tip. You can eat this right away or make it ahead. It will hold a day or two in the fridge, but I've noticed that the yogurt gets absorbed into the chicken/turkey when it sits overnight. This makes the chicken/turkey moist and flavorful, but the salad itself isn't as creamy. You may want to stir in some additional yogurt to restore the creamy consistency if it's eaten the next day.
Make it a yummy day!
Here's another healthy salad/sandwich you might like,
also made with yogurt: