- One million subscribers. Wow, that is such an incredible milestone for the channel and this community. And I am so appreciative and
just bursting with gratitude. I feel like I've gotten to know so many of you over the years just based on your comments on the videos. And it's made this online space that much more special, so thank you. Today, we're whipping up a classic recipe with a Downshiftology spin,
and that's chicken salad. Chicken salad is a year round favorite, but it's perfect for spring and summer when you want a chilled salad that's also hearty enough to fill you up. My version is dotted with crisp celery, green onions, toasted
almonds, and fresh grapes. But you know I love adding fresh herbs to elevate any salad recipe, and I've got a secret ingredient in this one. I think it is the ultimate
chicken salad recipe, if I do say so myself, so let's dive in. I love to use poached
chicken in my chicken salad, because it's easy, healthy, and it means that I don't have to turn on my oven if it's a hot day outside. But you could certainly use baked chicken, or even store bought rotisserie
chicken in this recipe. You'll need two pounds of raw chicken, which, for me, is three chicken breasts, and that equals about four cups of diced or shredded cooked chicken. To poach the chicken, add it to a pot, and cover it by about an
inch or so of cold water. You can poach chicken with simply water and a teaspoon of salt. But if you'd like to
add a punch of flavor, include some aromatics like
parsley or other herbs, onion, shallots, garlic,
lemon slices, and peppercorns. Place the pot on your
stove if it's not already, and turn the heat to medium. The goal with poached
chicken is to cook it very gently, so don't
try to cook it faster on high heat. As your water temperature
begins to warm up, you'll notice some white
foam on the surface. That's just from the fat of the chicken. If you plan to save the cooking liquid, which results in a delicious
light chicken broth, you can skim some of that off, but otherwise, it's not necessary. Once the water has
started to gently simmer, add the lid and reduce the heat to low. Depending on the size and
thickness of your chicken, you'll wanna cook it for
about eight to 12 minutes, or until it reaches 160
to 165 degrees fahrenheit. You can see how gently
my water is simmering. It's definitely not boiling, and I'll use an instant read thermometer
just to double check the temperature. When it's done, remove it
to a plate or cutting board and let it rest for a minute or two. Then transfer it to the fridge to chill as we want cold chicken in this recipe. If you plan to save the poaching liquid, which is extremely flavorful and perfect for making rice and other recipes, I've got several tips
on the full blog post. While the chicken is
cooling, we can prepare all of our other
ingredients for the salad, and that includes toasted almonds. Heat a pan on medium low
heat, and add half a cup of sliced almonds to a pan. Toast them for about four to five minutes, and stir them frequently
so that they don't burn. Then transfer them to a plate and let them cool completely
to room temperature. Next, slice and dice two stalks of celery. Because we want everything
bite-sized in the salad, it's best to run your knife
the length of the celery two or three times to create strips, then slice it across for a small dice. The celery adds a delicious
crisp bite to the salad, and you can always feel
free to add a little more, if you are a celery lover. Slice up three green onions, which are also known as
spring onions or scallions, and you'll want both the
green and white parts. Green onions are my favorite in spring and summer
recipes, but if you don't have green onions, red
onion also works great in this salad. The best chicken salads
always have grapes, in my opinion, for that sweet fruity bite. You'll need one cup of grapes, and you can use either red
or green seedless grapes. I just like red grapes for that
beautiful contrast in color. Slice the grapes into
quarters so the pieces aren't too big, then set them aside. Now come the herbs and
you probably know by now that I'm a big fan of
adding herbs to salads for the freshest flavor. Herbs really are the difference between an average salad, and an amazing salad, so definitely don't leave them out. Our first herb is
parsley, so finely chop up about two tablespoons of parsley leaves. And then for the secret
ingredient, tarragon. Tarragon pairs beautifully
with the chicken, and it's very aromatic with a flavor that's somewhat of a cross between anise, fennel and licorice. You don't need a lot of tarragon, just about one tablespoon finely chopped, but trust me, don't leave it out. It's the one ingredient that will have your family and friends saying, "Wow, this is the best
chicken salad recipe," but they won't quite be able
to put their finger on why. All right, now that the
chicken breasts have cooled, just slice and dice those up. I try to do a fairly small dice, about a half an inch or
less, as this will keep all of the ingredients
about the same size. But, it also makes it easier
to pile the chicken salad on bread for sandwiches, or
to roll up in lettuce leaves. Once the chicken is all diced up, add that the a bowl, then add all of your other ingredients, including
the chopped grapes, celery, green onions,
cooled toasted almonds, and one cup of mayonnaise. If your chicken or almonds
aren't fully cooled, you'll melt the
mayonnaise, so do make sure everything is cooled. Add one tablespoon of Dijon mustard for a tangy little bit of spice, along with the chopped
parsley and chopped tarragon. Season with salt and pepper,
and then finish it off with the juice of one
lemon for fresh acidity. Give that all a stir until
it's nice and creamy, and everything is fully mixed together, and then transfer it to a serving bowl. You can always add a
few leaves of tarragon or parsley on the top for garnish as well. (upbeat music) This salad is truly the
ultimate chicken salad recipe, and you'll be hard
pressed to not just eat it straight out of the bowl, as I usually do. But you can also serve
it in lettuce leaves for an easy low-carb meal. And I usually grab butter
lettuce or romaine lettuce, if I'm gonna eat it this way. Of course, you can also make
a chicken salad sandwich, and I'm using gluten-free
bread topped with lettuce, then a few big spoonfuls
of the chicken salad, and some micro-greens on top. I hope you enjoyed today's
video and if you did, make sure to give it a thumbs up, share it with your family and friends, and I will see you
again in the next video. (upbeat music)
