Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad

Although we eat a primarily plant-based diet these days, one of my boys is a carnivore so I buy and cook meat for him. When he was home for a week this summer, I bought some chicken that I didn’t end up preparing for him, so I decided to turn it into a chunky chicken salad. This recipe is outstanding. If I have walnuts and cranberries hanging around, which I often do for baking, this will be my go-to recipe when I want to make chicken salad.

Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad
Recipe from Gourmet Magazine

1 3/4 lbs cooked chicken (~4 cups, cut into 1/2″ cubes)
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1 or 2 celery ribs, diced into small bits (~1 cup)
2 or more tablespoons very finely chopped shallot
1 cup dried cranberries
2/3 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons tarragon or champagne or white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

In a large bowl, add the mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, pepper and chopped tarragon. Stir well to combine. Add the chicken, walnuts, celery and cranberries. Stir well to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings