Ingredients You Will Need
To make this delicious and filling salad you will need to gather these simple items from your kitchen or the store.
- Two large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- One cup of plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- Two tablespoons of light mayonnaise
- One tablespoon of Dijon mustard
- One large stalk of celery finely chopped
- Half of a red onion finely diced
- One large red bell pepper seeded and chopped
- Two cloves of fresh garlic minced
- One tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
- Two tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
- One teaspoon of sea salt
- Half a teaspoon of cracked black pepper
- Half a teaspoon of garlic powder
- One teaspoon of dried dill or fresh if available
- One head of romaine lettuce for serving
Step by Step Method
The first thing you need to do is cook your chicken breasts until they are tender and juicy. You can do this by boiling them in water for about fifteen minutes or you can roast them in the oven at four hundred degrees for twenty minutes. Once the chicken is fully cooked and there is no pink left in the middle you must let it cool down completely on a plate. This is a very important step because if you cut the chicken while it is hot it will release too much moisture and make your salad watery.
While the chicken is cooling down you can start preparing all your fresh vegetables. Take your celery and red onion and chop them into very small pieces so that you get a little bit of crunch in every single bite without any one flavor being too strong. Slice your red bell pepper into small cubes as well to add a beautiful pop of color and a natural sweetness to the dish.
Now it is time to make the creamy dressing that holds everything together. In a large mixing bowl combine the Greek yogurt and light mayonnaise with the Dijon mustard and lemon juice. Add in your minced garlic and the chopped parsley along with the salt and pepper and dill. Whisk all these ingredients together until the mixture is smooth and looks like a rich sauce.
Once your chicken is cool to the touch you can either chop it into small bite sized cubes or use two forks to shred it into fine pieces depending on what texture you prefer. Add the chicken into the large bowl with the dressing and then toss in your chopped celery and onions and peppers. Use a large spoon to mix everything together until every piece of chicken and vegetable is coated in that delicious yogurt dressing.
Taste your salad and see if it needs a little bit more salt or maybe an extra squeeze of lemon juice to make the flavors pop. For the best results you should put the salad in the refrigerator for at least thirty minutes before eating because this allows all the spices and juices to meld together. When you are ready to serve you can scoop the chicken salad into large lettuce leaves to make wraps or simply eat it out of a bowl with some whole grain crackers on the side.
