We've been on a bit of an avocado binge ever since our reader PJ sent us a box of huge avocados from a tree in the yard of her home in Florida. We've tried an Avocado Pie as well as an Avocado-Strawberry Salad.
But there was one recipe we were saving for last, because it sounded so great: this Guacamole Chicken Salad. It was one of the recipes PJ had included in the package she sent, and it seemed like the perfect way to finish out our stash of avocados.
We love fresh-made guacamole, and we love chicken salad. So why not love them together?
As chicken salads go, this one is fairly light. There's no mayonnaise, since the avocados provide the creaminess. In fact, the only liquid holding the salad together is a couple tablespoons of olive oil.
Actually, this is pretty much a straightforward guac with diced chicken tossed in. The recipe calls for 1 cup cooked, diced chicken breast. We wanted to ensure that our chicken had lots of great flavor, so, a few days before assembling this salad, we roasted some skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts by rubbing them with olive oil, sprinkling them with salt and pepper, and roasting them in a 350 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes. After the chicken had cooled, we removed the skin and diced the meat.
If you didn't want to bake your chicken for this salad, you could also poach some boneless, skinless chicken breasts, though we fear they wouldn't have nearly as much flavor. (If you really want to make things easy, you could buy one of those pre-cooked rotisserie chickens from the deli of your supermarket. We won't tell.)
Once you've got your chicken, the rest of this salad comes together like any guacamole: dice everything up and toss it together.
It's delicious. The chicken makes a terrific addition to the salty, fresh guacamole. The lime adds a great tart brightness. It's a salad that's packed with flavor but is still relatively light -- and it made us long for languid, hot summer days spent poolside.
Now, who's got a pool?
Other Salads You Might Like:
- Dijon-Cilantro Tuna Salad on Whole Grain Bread
- Arugula Salad with Grilled Chicken, Corn, Tomatoes and Blue Cheese
- Mediterranean Tuna Salad
Guacamole Chicken Salad
Via the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinal
* 1 cup cooked, diced chicken breast
* 2 tablespoons minced chives
* 1 small avocado, peeled, pitted and finely chopped
* 1 medium tomato, cored and diced
* 1 to 2 teaspoons minced jalapenos
* 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
* 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper or to taste
Combine chicken, chives, avocados, tomatoes and chiles in a salad bowl. Stir together remaining ingredients; pour over salad. Stir gently but well. Makes 2 servings.
Adapted from Bev Bennett of Tribune Media Services, a division of Tribune Co.
