5.13.2014

pecan chicken salad [whole30 / paleo]

I am 19 days in to my WHOLE30 [what?] and aside from some mad honey peanut butter & pad thai cravings, I'm feeling great! I think being two thirds of the way in, I am starting to miss some of the food I know I will integrate again once my challenge is over, but I am taking it day by day and enjoying every bite of the food I am making. 

So today I wanted to share my go-to lunch lately: Pecan Chicken Salad.
It requires minimal ingredients that can be stored in the fridge &/or prepped ahead of time so you can throw it together in no time. It is easy to pack for a picnic or a lunch [or dinner] at work and is light and refreshing, which makes it perfect for the warmer weather.


What You'll Need
Shredded [Cooked] Chicken // One breast per person [per serving]
Red Onion // I am obsessed with grilled red onion
Celery
Whole [Raw] Pecans
Green or Red Grapes
Homemade Paleo Mayo // Recipe HERE
S+P

What You'll Do

To cook chicken: Boil chicken on medium heat in high quality low sodium chicken stock [be sure it is whole30 compliant and does not contain sugar ... many do!] until cooked through; let cool & shred

To grill onion: Peel red onion and quarter, lightly coat with olive oil, S+P // Grill until heated through and you've achieved great grill marks ... We grill often & I always keep red onions on hand, so when my husband is grilling dinner, I have him throw onions on and then I use them all week in my recipes!

Shred chicken into bite-sized pieces after it has cooled
Finely chop red onion + celery
Slice grapes in half and half again, lengthwise

In a small frying pan, toast raw pecans [low heat, watching closely until the heat brings out the flavor, being careful not to burn]; chop once cooled ... reserve a handful for garnish and mix the rest into the salad

Mix all ingredients together in large bowl: chicken, red onion, celery, pecans + grapes
Add 1-2 TBSP homemade mayo to achieve desired flavor and of course, lots of S+P to taste

Garnish with chopped, toasted pecans & enjoy!

>> I didn't include measurements for the ingredients because I just eyeball everything. I keep cooked chicken in the fridge all week, as well as all the ingredients, so I make this salad in batches of 2-3 meals. Adjust the amounts of each ingredient according to your preferences. In general, my protein [chicken] is equivalent to the total veggies and fruit [celery, onion + grapes], and I'm pretty wild about pecans, so there are no real rules when it comes to those <<

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