Dried Cherry Toasted Almond Chicken Salad

This Cherry Almond Chicken Salad is perfect for a light, healthy and satisfying lunch. Shredded cooked chicken is combined with dried cherries, toasted almonds, onions and celery and is then tossed in a light creamy dressing. This recipes yields 5 (1 cup) servings.

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I don’t always meal prep lunch but when I do, I make chicken salad.

Depending on what I’m in the mood for, I usually alternate between chipotle chicken salad, this avocado grilled chicken salad, curried chicken salad, the classic chicken salad with grapes and pecans or the one I’m sharing today. All of these taste amazing and are great to have on hand for a quick healthy lunch.

In this particular salad, shredded cooked chicken is tossed with celery, onions, dried cherries and toasted almonds. The best part, in my opinion, is the dressing! A simple creamy dressing of mayonnaise, greek yogurt and lemon juice is sweetened with a little honey and seasoned with everything (but the bagel) seasoning.

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I like to top my cherry almond chicken salad with micro greens and extra everything seasoning and serve with with crackers and bibb lettuce leaves.

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To Make This Cherry Toasted Almond Salad You Will Need:

for the dressing:

plain nonfat greek yogurt – Lends creaminess without adding fat.
mayonnaise – Adds creaminess and flavor.
lemon juice – Thins out and brightens the dressing.
honey – Adds a touch of sweetness.
everything seasoning – Use homemade or store-bought.
kosher salt – Enhances the flavors in the dressing.
freshly ground black pepper – Lends delicious onion flavor.

for the salad:

yellow onion – Lends delicious onion flavor and texture.
sliced almonds – Add toasty, nutty flavor and crunch.
shredded cooked chicken – Use leftover roasted chicken or rotisserie.
celery – Lends earthy flavor and crunchy texture.
dried cherries – Adds texture and sweetness.
green onion – For a mild onion flavor.
parsley (fresh) – For a pop of dark green.

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Make The Dressing:

In a small bowl mix 1/4 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, the juice of 1/2 a small lemon, 2 teaspoons honey, 1 tablespoon everything seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and about 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.

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Stir well to combine and so that the honey is mixed throughout.

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Prep Ingredients:

Add 1/2 a medium, finely diced yellow onion to a bowl with ice and water. Let them soak 5 to 10 minutes.

What Happens When You Soak Onions In Ice Water?

Soaking onions in ice water removes a lot of the bite. You still get onion flavor but it’s mellowed out considerably.

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Next, toast 1/2 cup of sliced almonds in a dry pan until golden, tossing occasionally. Remove off of the heat and cool.

Measure, dice or roughly chop the remaining ingredients.

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Make The Salad:

In a mixing bowl, add 3 cups of shredded chicken, the (drained) yellow onions, 1/2 cup celery 1/3 cup dried cherries (roughly chopped), toasted almonds, 3 sliced green onions and 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley.

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