I like how chicken salad adapts for the occasion. It can be elegant, seasonal, wholesome. For weeks now, I’ve been making this summery version, Cherry Almond Chicken Salad.
Chicken salad has been on my mind this summer. It started with a camping trip in June. Turns out, a food highlight of our trip was cranberry chicken salad on bolillos, eaten in our car while rain poured down around us at our North woods campsite.
All the ingredients from the grocery store, but those sandwiches were just right for the moment and salvaged a soggy morning. Now that I’m snug at home, I’ve been making chicken salad weekly. To capture that camping in Door County feeling, I’ve added fresh, sweet cherries and smoke flavored almonds.
You’d think poaching would be an easy way to cook boneless skinless chicken breasts. And maybe it’s not difficult. But cooking the chicken so it’s done throughout and not overdone is a bit of a challenge.
This is especially true for large chicken breasts, as the outer portion can dry out in the time it takes to cook all the way through. Because chicken breasts seem to come in only big and bigger sizes, I slice the chicken horizontally into thinner slabs before cooking in an effort to achieve more even doneness throughout.
I keep an eye on the timing. But knowing how long to cook the chicken can be difficult given the variability in its size. So I judge doneness by the internal temperature of the chicken, removing it from the poaching liquid when the chicken has reached the appropriate temperature at its center.
I like fruit and nuts in chicken salad for the variety of textures they add. Plus it’s an easy way to change up the flavors for the occasion. For now I’m taking advantage of fresh sweet cherries, but I’d also be happy with dried tart cherries.
Cherry Almond Chicken Salad is at home on a fancy croissant or something heartier. The recipe makes enough for four large or six smaller sandwiches. I’m looking forward to making a batch for my next camping trip, just hoping to enjoy it on a beach blanket under a blue sky this time.
More Please?
- Summertime is also when I bust out my Grilled Chicken Chili Sandwiches.
- And I can’t wait till homegrown tomatoes start rolling in so I can feed my Fried Green Tomato obsession.
Cherry Almond Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Poached Chicken
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 bay leaves
Chicken Salad
- about 2 cups poached chicken, diced into small pieces
- 2/3 cup fresh cherries, pitted and chopped
- 1 large stalk celery, about 1/3 cup finely chopped
- ½ small onion, about 1/4 cup finely chopped
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ cup smoke flavored almonds, chopped
- 4 large sandwich rolls
Instructions
Poached Chicken
- If the chicken is a single large breast, slice in half horizontally.
- In a medium sauce pan, combine chicken, seasoned salt, black pepper, garlic, and bay leaves with enough water to chicken by 1 inch.
- Bring water to a boil over high heat. Reduce to simmer.
- Gently simmer until chicken is done throughout. Adjust timing as needed to achieve doneness. Total simmering time varies depending on the number and size of the chicken pieces. Check thinner slices of chicken at 5 – 6 minutes, larger pieces may require 10 – 15 minutes, or more.
- Remove chicken and cool slightly. Discard cooking water, garlic, and bay leaves.
- Finely dice the poached chicken.
Chicken Salad
- Combine in a medium bowl: chicken, cherries, celery, onion, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and almonds.
- Stir well to thoroughly combine ingredients. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve on sandwich rolls.
Notes
- Poaching requires careful attention to yield chicken that is cooked through but not overdone. Keep a close watch on the saucepan so that you reduce the heat to achieve a simmer immediately after reaching a full boil. A timer is helpful as a reminder to check for the boil after several minutes. After reducing to a simmer, I set the timer anew.
- The total simmering time varies depending on the number and size of the chicken pieces. Adjust timing as needed to achieve doneness. For a 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast sliced in half horizontally, the chicken was done after about 5 – 6 minutes of simmering. Thicker pieces of chicken may require 10 – 15 minutes or more.
- I judge doneness of the chicken by its internal temperature, removing it from the poaching liquid when the chicken has reached the appropriate temperature at its center.
- While I opt for chicken to be finely diced for chicken salad, some cooks shred the chicken which seems to lend a more cohesive look.
- The recipe yields enough for 4 large sandwiches or about 6 smaller sandwiches.
