Chicken Salad with Grapes and Walnuts

I told you we were entering salad season.

As I was making this, my husband told me that as a kid, he considered chicken salad to be half a step above a tuna sandwich. Apparently whoever fed it to him (and I don't think it was his mother) would use canned chicken with nothing but mayo. Ick. So when I started making this one with real chicken and added yogurt, not just mayo, and grapes and walnuts and celery (ie. food with texture AND flavor), he was quite intrigued. Surely this isn't the same beast served in small-town elementary schools!

Nope, not really. This chicken salad is full of flavor and texture and crunch. I would even eat it plain. I ate it for both lunch and dinner yesterday, and I think my husband is going to take it horseback riding today. I'm sure all the other guys will be very jealous.

Chicken Salad with Grapes and Walnuts

Recipe by Kelly

Pictures by Caroline

1 1/2 pounds chicken (about 4 medium sized chicken breasts)

1/3 cup plain yogurt

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 cup seedless grapes, halved crosswise

1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (3 ounces)

1 cup celery, thinly sliced

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water (or unsalted chicken broth) to a boil. Add chicken and cook at a bare simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain and cool, then tear or shred into small chunks.*
2. Meanwhile, stir together yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper.
3. Combine chicken, grapes, walnuts, and celery in a large bowl. Add dressing and toss to combine. Salt and pepper as needed. Serve on hard rolls or croissants.

 *I generally loathe boiling chicken. I think it looks funny and I hate the smell in my kitchen. I did it yesterday  because I don't have a grill and it was cooler than turning on the broiler, but I regretted it just the same. If you share my feelings, I highly recommend grilling your chicken. Or you can cheat and buy a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken to shred.