A high protein chicken salad made without mayo. Nutritious and delicious, this is perfect for lunch, a snack, or a light dinner
We can all agree: Avocados make everything better. And whenever they are on sale I buy multiple.
One time, I lost one in my car.
Well, last week I found it. I couldn't even bring myself to take a picture of it, it was so disgusting. So disgusting. So very disgusting. It had been sitting in my way back seat cup holders... for over 8 weeks.
8 weeks!
I didn't even know what it was at first. I'm glad I found it... just wish it had been 2 months earlier. Ha
[clickToTweet tweet="A delicious, high protein #avocado chicken salad made w/out mayo. Perfect for #lunch" quote="A delicious, high protein #avocado chicken salad made w/out mayo. Perfect for #lunch"]
Oh well...
Luckily, I had other avocados in my refrigerator, so I made some chicken salad. Well, a version of chicken salad with avocados and cilantro. Delish!
Chicken salad -- along with pimento cheese, of course -- is one of my favorite things to keep in my refrigerator for an easy snack or meal.
You can eat it with crackers, on a bed of lettuce, with some lettuce & tomato on whole wheat bread, or just straight from the container.
Unfortunately, most deli or store bought chicken salad is not very nutritious and packed with mayo.
Like most any other time that I can take out the mayo, I do. And I use cottage cheese because it has a relatively neutral flavor unlike yogurt's tangy flavor {especially Greek yogurt}.
I like to pulse the cottage cheese in a mini food processor so it is nice and smooth.
You can use already cooked, leftover chicken. Or poach your chicken right before stirring everything together.
To poach chicken:
Bring 4-6 cups of water, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp ground black pepper to a boil.
Add 1.5 pounds of chicken.
Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked all the way through. Let cool and shred with two forks or your fingers.
And now you've just poached chicken.
Feel free to use chicken broth instead of water and/or to add some leftover veggie scraps like celery, onions, garlic, and carrots when you are bringing the water to a boil to give your poached chicken a little extra flavor.
Avocado Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1 avocado
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese preferably low sodium
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 TBSP lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 4 cups cooked chicken breast shredded
- 3 green onions chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
- In a plastic or glass bowl, mash the avocado to a chunky consistency. Set aside.
- Add the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic to the bowl of a food processor or blender. Process until completely smooth. Add mixture to the mashed avocado.
- Stir in the chicken, green onions, and cilantro. Taste and season as needed.
- Keep refrigerated, tightly covered, when not in use.
Notes
What I used to make this recipe:
Meme
Here are some of my other favorite avocado recipes you might enjoy:
Avocado Salmon Burgers (this one has a video!)
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Candi says
I think this is my favorite looking sandwich. Everything I love is on it. I will be subscribing because I want to make everything on here.
Meme says
Aw you're so sweet! Thank you!!
I go through bowls of this in the summer when avocados are really ripe and delicious. I love how deliciously healthy it is 🙂
Natalie Waggoner says
How long does this keep before turning brown?
Meme says
Unfortunately, it turns brown within a day but it still tastes delicious for up to 2-3 days. I honestly don't know if it'll last longer because I usually eat it all before day 3 🙂
The lemon juice helps it from turning brown and covering it tightly when not in use should help delay the brown from coming on too soon. Hope that helps!
Constance says
Would it be possible to pre-portion and freeze for a week of lunches?
Meme says
Hmm that's a great question. I have never frozen it but next time I get a chance, I will try it. I'm not sure that it would be that great after it has thawed though.
I think you could keep this for about 5 days if you wanted to make it on a Sunday night or Monday for the rest of the week. It will turn slightly brownish but still taste delicious!
Sherri says
This is so delicious! I added a touch of Dijon mustard and a 2 tsp of dried dill, I boiled the chicken in bone broth with a Tbsp of ginger. Soo good! Thx for posting this recipe.
Cheers,
Sherri