I have always loved chicken salad. My dad used to make it with leftover grilled chicken breasts and mix it with a variety of things from grapes, wild rice, almonds, onions, you name it, he tried it. My grandmother was more of a traditionalist and made hers with onions, celery, macaroni and curry powder. The tough thing about prepared (i.e. store bought) chicken salad is that it tends to be heavy on the mayonnaise, and the chicken is of questionable quality (and origin)... and it's chicken, which doesn't get eaten at our house.
My version of chicken salad is vegetarian (but not vegan), healthy, light and delicious! The ingredients can be substituted to include any fresh, crunchy vegetables you have on hand.
For the chicken, I use a whole bag of Quorn Chik'n Tenders. I put them on a big plate and microwave them until they're thawed, but not hot. They don't need to be hot because you're making a salad that's best served chilled. If you're using regular chicken, I think that using 2 cups of chopped, white meat chicken would be best.
For the vegetables, pick a variety of them. In the version I made for lunch today, I used a small zucchini, a large head of broccoli, a handful of sugar snap peas, celery, and three large scallions. I've also used different colors of peppers, cucumbers, green beans, peas, carrots, kale, white onions, summer squash, and probably others I can't think of. I've also added in chick peas (garbanzo beans), which were hardly noticed, but add even more protein and fiber.
To prep your vegetables, chop them all up into small dice. They should be about the same size as your chunks of chicken. I tend to have twice the amount of vegetables as chicken, because I love vegetables. A quick note regarding onions... it doesn't matter what the ratio of your vegetables used are, except onions. Keep your onions to no more than 10% of your recipe, or you will have no friends. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Unless they've eaten the chicken salad with you. :)
After you've chopped all of your vegetables, toss them in a BIG bowl. The biggest you have - otherwise you'll just spill it when you try to mix it. Then, assuming you have a good 4-5 cups of vegetables and chicken, add about 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and 1-2 heaping tablespoons of curry powder. (I use an egg-free, vegan mayo, simply because it's lower in fat and calories, and that's what I like.) Using a wooden spoon, stir it very, very well. You may have to add in more mayonnaise, or more curry, depending on your taste. Then, refrigerate until you're ready to eat it. As it sits, the flavors meld together and the little bit of liquid will lightly soften your vegetables and make the salad creamier.
This stuff is terrific. Stuff it in a pita, serve it over salad greens, or just eat it out of a bowl. We had it over some spicy greens from the garden, and it was a fantastic, filling, summery lunch!
