Chicken salad provides the freshness that the Christmas dish—already full of strong flavors—needs.
This preparation is simply a Russian salad with shredded chicken added. Still, since it’s often difficult to get hold of a real chicken, most of us use chicken breasts.
This salad is quite simple to make, but everyone has their own quirks, and achieving a balanced version isn’t always easy. Some might say, “No apple,” others, “Don’t even think about adding cilantro, “Cabs definitely not,” or “Lots of mayonnaise!”
For example, I like to add chopped onion and find those crunchy apple pieces. Luckily, since this isn’t a bakery or pastry shop, we can make the necessary adjustments along the way to create the perfect chicken salad (that is, the one we like).
Recipe Information
- Preparation time: 20 minutes
- Cooking time: 45-50 minutes
- Quantity: Approximately 8-10 servings.
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 2 cooked chicken breasts (approx. 1 kilo)
- 600 grams of potatoes (about 3 large potatoes) or chayote
- 300 grams of carrot (about 3 small carrots)
- 1 can (240 grams) of green peas or frozen peas, cooked according to package directions
- 1 green or yellow apple
- 1 piece of onion or 2 chopped scallion stalks
For the dressing:
- 1 cup of mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon of mustard
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- Pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil or chicken cooking broth
- 2-3 tablespoons of white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of brown sugar (optional)
Preparation:
- To cook the chicken breasts: Place them in a pot with plenty of water, add a piece of onion or scallion, celery, garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook over medium-high heat. When cooked, remove them to a plate to cool, then shred them. Set aside.
- Cook potatoes and carrots: Separately, either steamed or in water with added salt. They should be cooked but firm, especially the potatoes, so they don’t break when mixed with the other ingredients.
- Cool the vegetables: Once cooked, place them on a tray in a single layer to cool quickly. Adding the dressing to hot vegetables will make them very oily.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, mix the dressing ingredients.
- Mix the ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the cooked vegetables, chicken breast, peas, chopped onion, and dressing. Stir with a spoon or wooden spatula, adjusting the salt, pepper, mayonnaise, or vinegar to your desired consistency. You can add a little parsley or cilantro if you like. Place in a covered container and chill for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight. Serve and enjoy.
Grades:
- You can add chayotes for a low-calorie option.
- It is important that the salad is kept refrigerated to prevent it from fermenting and spoiling (as we say in my country, “getting spoiled”).
- Frozen peas give a better color than canned ones.
- Save the broth from cooking the chicken for another use, such as soup or cooking rice.