Summer Chicken Salad with Fruit

Growing up, I was never a big fan of your traditional chicken salad. It was mushy and bland and oh so boring with the lack of veggies. I suppose it didn't help that I never liked Mayo either, can't stand it in fact, Gag!  I guess chicken salad never really had a chance with me. It ranked right up there with potato salad and egg salad sandwiches as far as I was concerned. So, I hate to even call this "chicken salad". I mean technically, it is a chicken salad, but with so much more pizazz and flair! It's chicken salad all grown up.  It has tangy, sweet and savory flavors in every bite. I love how you can really taste each separate flavor since the yogurt is so nice and light as apposed to mayo. (man, this wasn't supposed to be a mayo bashing, sorry to all you mayo lovers... get over it ).

However, here is the ugly truth regarding mayo, in calories and fat comparison.

(Low-fat yogurt has 9 calories a tablespoon, versus 99 for regular mayonnaise and 30 for sour cream.)

You can substitute yogurt for mayo in almost anything.

Serve this salad over lettuce instead of in a sandwich! You won't miss the bread. This is full of flavor, filling and healthy!

Even my picky eater LOVED this, curry and all! Here is the official thumbs up of approval!

You will need:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1  cup plain, fat free yogurt
1 TBSP curry powder ( if you just don't like curry... *sigh.... you could use tarragon instead for a different twist)
1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup sliced red grapes
1/2 cup diced apples
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Green Leaf (or simialr) lettuce

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Poach the chicken. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1/2 tsp salt and the chicken, reduce the heat until the water is barely simmering, and cook until opaque throughout (8-10 min). Remove from heat and let stand until cool enough to handle. Cut into bite size cubes

2) Make the dressing. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, curry powder 1/2 tsp salt, and a pinch of pepper.

3) Assemble the salad. Add the chicken, celery, apples, grapes and walnuts/pecans. Drizzle the dressing over top and toss to coat evenly. Arrange the lettuce on plates and top with the chicken mixture.

Nutritional Info:

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 220.6

Total Fat: 9.4 g

Cholesterol: 45.5 mg

Sodium: 311.3 mg

Total Carbs: 16.1 g

Dietary Fiber: 4.4 g

Protein: 20.1 g