Sonoma Chicken Salad (Whole Foods Knockoff)

Considering that it's summer, and we're all looking for shortcuts at dinner time, and it's been a really long time (about six months!) since I've posted a recipe that requires a rotisserie chicken, ---here you go!

This salad is a riff on Whole Foods' Sonoma Chicken Salad.  Nuts and celery for crunch, grapes and honey for sweetness...I hope you enjoy this as much my family does!


Today's Playlist

• "50 Ways To Say Goodbye"...Train
• "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life"...Green Day
• "Blister In The Sun"...Violent Femmes
• "Re-Education"...Rise Against
• "The Zephyr Song"...Red Hot Chili Peppers

Sonoma Chicken Salad (A Whole Foods copycat recipe, makes 4 to 6 servings)

Printable Recipe

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (toast in a 350-degree oven for 3 minutes)
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 cup red seedless grapes, halved

Gather your ingredients.  In the back row of this picture are the dressing ingredients, and in the foreground are the salad ingredients, already prepped.  Halve the grapes, dice the celery, remove and dice the meat from the chicken, and chop the pecans.

I like to toast my pecans, it gives them a nice flavor.  Three minutes at 350 degrees is all that it takes.

Prepare the dressing:  in a small bowl, combine the mayo, cider vinegar, honey...

...poppy seeds, salt and pepper.

Stir to combine.  You can make this ahead of time, if you like, and refrigerate it until you are ready to make the chicken salad.

To make the salad: put the celery, grapes and pecans into a medium-sized bowl.

Add the chicken.

Gently toss.

Add the dressing.

Stir to combine.

It's yummy just as it is!

Or wrap it up with a few spinach leaves.

Enjoy!