This mayo free chicken salad is gluten free, dairy free and oh so tasty! Enjoy it in a lettuce wrap, over greens or as a sandwich or wrap.
This chicken salad is so vibrant and full of flavor. The dressing is made with avocado and olive oil, which gives it that creamy texture without any mayo! The maple and ginger in the dressing give it a tangy punch that is so refreshing.
What You’ll Need:
- Chicken
- apple, grapes, celery, fresh chives
- roasted cashews
- olive oil
- cider vinegar
- maple syrup
- ginger, grated
- avocado
- sea salt
- romaine or Bibb lettuce leaves
Making the Recipe:
There is nothing better than a recipe that comes together in under 30 minutes and tastes so refreshing!
I always recommend making your sauces and dressings and prepping the food you’ll cook first.
Start by making the dressing. Put everything into a high-speed blender or Nutri-bullet and blend until creamy. You can store the dressing in the refrigerator until you are ready to dress the chicken salad.
Next, prepare the ingredients for the salad. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in size. Add a little olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with a little salt and pepper and cook it until the juices run clear and the chicken is no longer pink in the center. Transfer the chicken to a bowl and let it cool a bit, while you prep the other ingredients.
Dice the celery and the apple. Cut the chives with kitchen shears, if you have them. If not, just mince then with a knife on a cutting board. Cut the grapes in half and chop the roasted cashews.
Add the chopped ingredients to the bowl with the chicken.
Toss it all together with 3/4 of the dressing. You can always add more to your liking, but can’t remove dressing once you add it! Taste the chicken salad and adjust to your taste buds.
Enjoy the chicken salad plain, serve it in lettuce wraps or over chopped romaine. You can also eat it as a sandwich or a wrap.
Chicken Salad with Maple Ginger Avocado Dressing
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: main dish
- Method: stovetop
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This mayo free chicken salad is gluten free, dairy free and oh so tasty! Enjoy it in a lettuce wrap, over greens or as a sandwich or wrap.
Ingredients
For the Maple Ginger Dressing:
- 2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 tsp. grated ginger
- 1/4 cup olive oil (organic, extra virgin)
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 avocado
For the Salad Base:
- 1 1lb. chicken breast or tenders, cooked and diced
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season the chicken
- 1 apple, diced
- 1 cup grapes, halved
- 2 Tbsp. chives, minced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 8 large romaine leaves
- 1/4 cup roasted cashews, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Make the vinaigrette in a blender or Nutri-bullet and set aside.
- Season the chicken with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and cook in a skillet over medium-high heat until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Let the chicken cool for a few minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, dice the apple, halve the grapes, mince the chives and dice the celery and place them in a large mixing bowl.
- Put all of the salad ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Add the vinaigrette and mix well.
- Serve over chopped romaine or use a full romaine leaf as a bed or a wrap for the chicken salad.
Notes
- Use a rotisserie chicken to cut down on prep time if you prefer.
- Add chopped cashews or walnuts to the chicken salad, if not eating nut free.