I’m a bit disappointed that I had to put the word ‘salad’ in there because the ‘C’ alliteration was going so nicely…
That said, this is a delicious salad! Well, perhaps I should qualify that. It’s not for everyone. H and I made this fascinating twist on the typical chicken salad. It’s got all of the crunch and creaminess usually found in a chicken salad, but the creaminess is from plain yogurt and the very yellow colour is all curry powder. Yum!
The fact that this was a cold salad didn’t appeal to H; and the sister is rather picky about her curries- this one didn’t appeal. I really enjoyed it quite a bit- I love the textures, the crunch, the flavour combinations. I quite enjoyed it cold, but I love cold, crunchy, creamy chicken and tuna salads, so perhaps this will only appeal to those who share that joy.
Crunchy Curried Chicken Salad
Adapted from Curried Chicken Salad from Green Black Red
Ingredients:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (organic, hormone-free, all-natural, grass-fed), cleaned from fat
- 1 medium Red Delicious (or other red) crunchy apple, diced into large 1-inch chunks (skin on, rinsed thoroughly)
- 1/2 cup green grapes, halved
- 1/4 cup black grapes, halved
- 1/4 cup red grapes, halved
- 1 large celery stalk, diced coarsely
- 2 tablespoons mango chutney
- 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
- 1/2 heaping cup plain yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
Process:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with a silpat mat. Brush the chicken with the olive oil on one side, and season with salt and pepper. Then flip on the other side and repeat. Place chicken on the silpat and set to bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until cooked thoroughly and crisp on the outside.
- Place the chicken aside to cool as you chop the grapes, apple, and celery. Place all vegetables in a large mixing bowl.
- Add chicken, yogurt, chutney, curry powder, and remaining salt to veggie/fruit mixture. Toss thoroughly; serve immediately with hot, fresh naan (yum).
I brought he leftovers for lunch to work the next day and it keeps very nicely overnight in the fridge- in fact, the yellow and curry taste intensified. It may be a bit more watery at that point- the grapes and apples will sweat out some moisture- but the deliciousness remains. Please do note that people who don’t like cold curry salads won’t care for this one- but those who do should greatly enjoy it :).
