I am a big fan of chicken salad. One of my favorite quick lunches is my cashew chicken salad. Especially at work. There’s nothing to heat up and you don’t have to eat leftovers cold that are supposed to be eaten warm because you don’t use a microwave. Well, that’s what I usually do and I’m sure I’m not alone in eating cold leftovers. Chicken salad bridges that gap where you want to eat it cold and can eat it as leftovers too. I also love eating chicken salad a day or two after its been made because all of the flavors merry together and it tastes even more delicious. I will let you know this no-mayo avocado chicken salad has a whole avocado in the sauce so it’s best eaten quicker vs later so the avocado doesn’t oxidize too much and turn brown. This salad is best fresh or eaten within 1-2 days.
Most chicken salads are made with a lot of mayo. And as long as your mayonnaise is made with healthy oils like olive, avocado, grape seed or coconut oil and avoids oils like canola oil and hydrogenated oil, mayonnaise is good and healthy. Sometimes you just have to mix it up a little bit and make a make a chicken salad mayo free. The “mayo” is replaced with pureed avocado and coconut milk. Some of my favorite flavors like dried cranberries and walnuts are added in the salad and then topped with tangy goat cheese.
Ingredients
2 cups cooked organic and free range chicken (white meat, dark meat or mixed)
1/4 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1 avocado
1/2 cup canned coconut milk
1 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
chèvre goat cheese, for the top (I recommend about 2-3 ounces)
Directions
- In a medium sized bowl add the chicken, cranberries, walnuts and red onion
- In a blender add the avocado, coconut milk and vinegar and blend on high until the sauce is completely blended together and smooth
- Add the avocado sauce to the chicken and mix until combined. Season with salt and pepper to your taste and top with chèvre goat cheese before serving. Serve cold
- When storing, because of the avocado in the salad, make sure to cover the salad with parchment paper and press it down into the chicken salad. This will prevent oxidation of the avocado. After pressing the parchment paper down cover with cling wrap to keep it fully airtight
- Best eaten chilled within 1-2 days
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Ann says
New to your website. Always excited to learn new tricks! Did shy away from the chicken salad recipe because I NEVER eat mayo… Then I read your ingredients & can’t wait to try it. Love avacado and am a coconut oil fanatic… Oil pulling to moisturizing to cooking EVERYTHING with coconut oil, coconut milk, and now coconut flour! Keep those ideas coming! So glad I found you!
Meghan Birt says
Thanks for stopping by Ann! And thanks for the comment on the chicken salad :). I hope you love it!! And I am totally a coconut oil…well coconut everything junkie!