Pesto Chicken Salad
Yesterday, our grandparents came over to visit for the first time since we moved. They came for lunch, and we racked our brain for a couple of days about what we could make for them. Sometimes we find a lunch menu much more difficult than dinner; you want something substantial, but not too heavy. We gave chicken salad a brief thought, but it’s never our favorite meal, mostly because we hate the gloppy mayonnaise thing. Then we remembered that our mom had given us a large package of basil from her garden, and a light bulb went off. Pesto chicken salad!
We've made variations of this pasta pesto dish before, and it seemed like the reliable starting point for a pesto chicken salad. We took our favorite pesto, added frozen chopped spinach (which we had thawed), some mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Voila! If you use a store-bought rotisserie chicken, it’s an incredibly speedy meal and filling. We served the sandwiches on croissants, but you could use your favorite rolls or bread.
Everyone raved about the chicken salad, and our Chief Culinary Consultant already requested another batch for sandwiches this week. He also added that a couple of pieces of bacon would be a great addition. A man after our own heart; bacon does make everything better! This salad is going into our stash of killer lunch recipes; it’s definitely a keeper.
One year ago: From-scratch Strawberry Ice Cream Topping
Two years ago: Top 10 List: Favorite Main Dishes
Three years ago: Anise Cookies
Four years ago: Scallion Pancakes with Ginger Dipping Sauce and Snickerdoodles
Five years ago: Fresh Blueberry Pie and Plain Bagels
Pesto Chicken Salad
Yield: 8 servings A straightforward chicken salad that is dressed in a pesto sauce; reliable for using up fresh basil!- 2 pounds (907.18 g) cooked chicken, diced small
- 1½ cups (372 g) pesto, from-scratch or store-bought
- 10 ounce (283.5 g) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1¼ cups (280 g) mayonnaise
- ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) freshly ground black pepper
- Place the chicken in a large bowl; set aside.
- Place the pesto, spinach and lemon juice in a food processor or blender and puree until combined and smooth. Add the mayonnaise and puree again for about 5 to 10 seconds to combine.
- Pour the pesto mixture over the chicken, add the salt and pepper, and stir to completely coat all of the chicken. Serve on your croissants or your favorite bread. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Notes
Nutritional values are based on one serving
- Yield: 8 servings
- Prep: 30 minutes
- Total: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ( 907.18 g ) cooked chicken, diced small
- 1½ cups ( 372 g ) pesto, from-scratch or store-bought
- 10 ounce ( 283.5 g ) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1¼ cups ( 280 g ) mayonnaise
- ¾ teaspoon ( 0.75 teaspoon ) kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon ( 0.75 teaspoon ) freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Place the chicken in a large bowl; set aside.
- Place the pesto, spinach and lemon juice in a food processor or blender and puree until combined and smooth. Add the mayonnaise and puree again for about 5 to 10 seconds to combine.
- Pour the pesto mixture over the chicken, add the salt and pepper, and stir to completely coat all of the chicken. Serve on your croissants or your favorite bread. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
