chicken salad recipe with yogurt

Chicken Salad with Greek Yogurt and Dried Currants

Making chicken salad with leftover chicken certainly isn’t a new idea, but this recipe is a bit different.  I usually follow (mostly) a chicken salad recipe from the Silver Palate Cookbook which calls for sour cream, walnuts, and tarragon. Incidentally, that is one of my favorite cookbooks.  I’m on my third copy!

The Silver Palate recipe is very good, but yesterday I felt like something different.  I didn’t have all of those ingredients, but I did have some Greek yogurt, black currants and a bit of leftover red  bell pepper.

It’s common to use celery in this sort of salad, but not being a big celery fan, I never have any in the fridge.  I thought that the currants would add sweetness and the bell pepper would give the salad a bit more color as well as some extra sweetness and a satisfying crunch (without any celery!).

This chicken salad is a bit lighter than most chicken salads because it uses a mixture of Greek yogurt and mayonnaise, rather than just mayo. Much as I love rich and creamy foods, I somehow happen to prefer chicken salad that’s a little less “mayonnaisy.”  The yogurt adds a bit of tanginess that contrasts with the creaminess of the mayonnaise. Use about three parts mayonnaise to one part yogurt.

It was easy, quick, tasty, and great for a hot day when I didn’t feel like cooking or fussing in the kitchen.




Chicken Salad with Greek Yogurt and Dried Currants Substitutions and Variations

  • If you don’t have dried currants, use grapes or raisins instead; particularly a raisin mixture (Trader Joe’s has a great one)
  • Top with spinach or lettuce for extra color and crunch
  • If you don’t have yogurt, substitute sour cream
  • Try cranberries instead of the currants

More Chicken Salad Recipes

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