Chicken Salad-Whole30

This recipe saved me from throwing in the towel during our 1st Whole30 and has been a staple ever since. I'm sharing my process from start-to-finish. You can add or omit ingredients to your preference--here's the key--

1. Make your mayo

2. Add things you like

3. Don't quit your Whole30 before you've thrown yourself this life preserver. 

Now lets get to it!

Ingredients

For the Mayo

1 egg, room temp is preferred (just plunk it in a glass of warm water while you gather your indgredients)

1 T apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp dry Mustard

1/4 tsp white pepper

Salt to taste

3/4 cup Light Tasting Olive Oil (NOT EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL) or Avacado Oil

For the Chicken Salad

2-3 Grilled or Smoked Chicken Breasts cut into thirds

4-5 ribs of celery, washed and trimmed, cut into 2-3 inch chunks

2 carrots, washed and peeled, cut into 2-3 inch chunks

2-3 radishes, washed and halved or quartered

1/2 cup (or more or less) slivered almonds, chopped pecans, or other nut of choice (not peanuts)

1 cup (or more or less) red or black seedless grapes, washed and sliced in half

Salt and Pepper to taste

Tools I use

Food Processor

Large Mixing Bowl

Rubber Spatula

Knife/Knives

Cutting Board

Method

Place nuts on baking sheet and turn oven to 250. Place nuts in oven (no need to preheat).

In bowl of food processor with blade attached add egg, vinegar and seasoning. Turn food processor on to combine. Once combined remove the small cover and slowly (s l o w l y) drizzle in your oil with the processor running. Once complete you should have a thick creamy mayo. Turn off the machine, scrape all of the mayo into your mixing bowl. Its okay if you leave some in the bowl. No need to rinse anything. 

Replace the bowl and blade onto your food processor and add your chicken, pulse to desired texture (my crew likes it tiny, nearly ground), add finished chicken to the large mixing bowl. Replace bowl and blade again and add celery, carrots, radishes pulse and add to the mixing bowl. Grab your roasting nuts from the oven and add them to the processor, pulse then add to the mixing bowl. Slice those grapes on the cutting board (or use this gadget which is what I use) add them to your mixing bowl.

Now you're done with the food processor--it did all of the chopping for you and you only have to wash it once! Stir everything together in your mixing bowl and add salt and pepper to taste.

Keep in the fridge as a must-have-Whole30-kitchen staple. Enjoy it over greens, stuffed in celery, on its own, at home or on the go. (I do this exact process before every beach trip which is basically weekly this time of year!)

A note about veggies--you can totally make this chicken salad without them. Or you can make it with just celery--I add the extra veggies to add a few more vitamins, micronutirents and a little more texture to our chicken salad. Back before my Whole30 experience I wouldn't have bothered. Now I know they give my system extra fuel and don't distract from the traditional chicken salad experience.