Tarragon Chicken Salad

by

Chicken salad is a comfort food for me. It takes me back to being a small girl in a quaint tea room that smelled of cinnamon and spices sharing in laughter and conversation with my aunts and nana on special occasions. Small sandwiches, fancy tea sets, and perfect sugar cubes with tongs sized as if they were made for a teddy bear. The chicken salad we enjoyed there had grapes in it, as in the Midwest grapes are a standard. I just can’t call it chicken salad without them! I know not everyone feels the same. While I may think grapes go in chicken salad, my husband would disagree! If you don’t like or want the grapes simply omit them, or replace with blueberries for an antioxidant boost. 

Tarragon is a perennial herb in the sunflower family. It has a mainly licorice flavor with hints of fennel, marjoram, and dill. It’s quite unique and exquisite, and I feel these words don’t quite do it justice. The problem? It’s expensive! I don’t know how you feel, but I am always trying to save money where I can. Here you can do that by using dried tarragon instead of fresh. For about the same price you can get a small bundle of fresh and use it for one recipe, or you could get a jar of dried and use it for about 10. Some herbs lose taste when dried, but I find that the subtle layered flavors and licorice core of tarragon stay really well. So, save yourself a few bucks and grab the dried ones instead!  

Tarragon Chicken Salad

Serves 4
Prep: 15 min
Cooking: 25 min 
Total: 40 min
Beginner 

Ingredients: 

2 Ea. chicken breast, baked, cooled, and diced

6 Stalks of celery, small dice 

1 Lb. red grapes, halved  

1 Tbsp. Tarragon, dried (1 tsp set aside, & 2 tsp set aside)  

½ tsp. oregano, dried

⅔ Cup mayonnaise, homemade (see mayonnaise recipe) 

2 Green onions, sliced 

2 Tbsp. olive oil 

Salt, TT

Method Of Prep: 

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  2. Place olive oil, 1 tsp. of dried tarragon, ½ tsp. dried oregano, salt, and black pepper in a small dish. Mix well.
  3. Brush over chicken breasts being sure to coat both sides.
  4. Bake for 25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
  5. While the chicken is baking, prep celery and grapes. If you need to make your mayonnaise do that now as well (see recipe.)
  6. Get a large mixing bowl and add celery, grapes, mayonnaise, 2 tsp. of dried tarragon, green onion, salt, and pepper.
  7. Dice chicken, and cool. Add chicken.
  8. Stir enough to evenly coat the salad ingredients.
  9. Chill and serve over arugula or your favorite lettuce.
  10. Top with a few sliced green onions and enjoy! 

                                                        

Nutrition Facts: 
Calories- 415
Carbs- 23.6 g
Protein- 18.2 g
Fat- 27.2 g