Cooking is Hard

 Chicken salad is not.

Time to impress your friends with this insanely easy and healthy recipe!

If there's one thing I'm known for, it's telling people I hate cooking. Friends, family, dates (is this why I'm still single?) all hear about how often I end up making scrambled eggs for dinner because of the sheer resistance to the thought of preheating, chopping, and sautéing when 5pm rolls around. But all that changed when I had my friend Madison's chicken salad.

This chicken salad was unlike others I've had in the past. When I asked her why, she said it was a "healthy" version, made with Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise.  

This prompted me to ask other questions, like "Why aren't the red onions spicy?" and "Which herb am I tasting right now?" She said the secret was buying pre-chopped red onions and adding lots of fresh parsley.

Not only did using pre-chopped onions make it taste better, it made preparing the chicken salad easier. Music to my ears.

The only real chopping required was for the almonds, celery, and grapes—something I can likely manage. Another important distinction is using gum drop grapes. 

I had never heard of this breed before but it made all the difference. As I was watching her prep the salad, I noticed that measurements were not really necessary and eyeballing ingredients sufficed—another great perk since I am also mathematically challenged. 

Madison made a variation of the chicken salad: Buffalo chicken salad. Equally as good and equally as simple. Just get your favorite buffalo sauce and pour it in the bowl after adding all the other ingredients. Enjoy!

Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

Ingredients

2 c shredded chicken

1/2 c grapes, halved

1/2 c celery, chopped

1/4 c red onion, diced

2 tbsp. salted almonds, chopped

½ tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 tbsp. parsley, chopped

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. fine sea salt

Instructions

1. Combine the ingredients. Add chicken, grapes, celery, onion, Greek yogurt, almonds, mustard, parsley, pepper and salt into a large bowl.

2. Serve. Toss to combine. Taste and add more yogurt, salt and pepper, if needed. Enjoy on crackers, bread, or a wrap.

That's it. There are only two steps. You can do it. I believe in you.

Tips

• Use pre-chopped red onions for a milder flavor (cuts down on prep time, too!) 
• Use rotisserie chicken 
• Use gum drop drop grapes for maximum sweetness
• Maybe more parsley?
• Add buffalo sauce for...buffalo chicken salad
• Double the recipe, thank me later

Recipe from eatingbirdfood.com