Tarragon Chicken Salad

  

Chicken salad is so simple to make, right? Then why don’t I make it more often, especially with a recipe this delicious?

I was reminded of this chicken salad recipe after seeing similar ones posted around the internet world this summer. It came from In a Pinch Café and Bakery in Concord, New Hampshire. The owner, Paula Stephen, shared it with me when I wrote a profile of her restaurant for the local newspaper. The salad was my favorite menu item when I lived there, and it's still a customer favorite.

What is best about this recipe is it can easily be adjusted to fit your tastes. I like to add a little diced purple onion if I have it on hand. To eat, I like the salad on a nice whole-grain roll with lettuce and, if I have them, bean sprouts. Feel free to use leftover chicken instead of the cooked chicken breasts in the recipe. The last time I made it, I used a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.

Of course, The Picky Eater wanted nothing to do with this recipe. His chicken salad must be made with sweet pickles and Miracle Whip.

So I made two salads instead of just one.

Sigh…

Tarragon Chicken Salad

Adapted from In a Pinch Café’s recipe

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 2 pounds)

1 rib of celery, finely chopped

Juice of half a lemon

1/2 cup of mayonnaise

1 1/2 teaspoons dried tarragon

Salt and pepper, to taste

Place chicken breasts in a pan of cold, salted water. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the temperature to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from the water and allow to cool.

Cut cooled chicken into bite-sized pieces and place into a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate until chilled before serving.