Storm of Thoughts

Autumn Chicken Salad

Chicken salad doesn’t necessarily remind you of fall (and, in fact, my chicken salad eating is usually done in the summer), but once you add some apples, nuts, and dried cranberries, it fits perfectly into a November day. We made this recipe up as we went and it’s pretty forgiving, so substitutions are welcome.

Rotisserie Chicken, shredded (The first time we made it, my mom used a slow-cooked chicken from a big outdoor smoker at a farm stand in Maryland.)
A few scallions, thinly sliced
A few stalks of celery, chopped
One apple, diced
Toasted walnuts, broken up
A handful or two of craisins
Peas (fresh if possible!)

For Dressing

3/4 cup mayo
1/4 cider vinegar
3 tablespoons mustard
A few shakes of curry powder
Smoked paprika
Salt and pepper
We also added hickory smoked salt - this is hard to find and optional, but adding a smoky seasoning worked well with the chicken

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together dressing ingredients in a separate bowl (and taste it so you can add more of any ingredient if you need to.) Pour dressing over salad and mix until coated.

I’m a fan of the sandwich - this goes especially well on cranberry, whole grain, or other “harvest” breads - but this recipe can obviously also be eaten plain or on top of a salad.

See - it’s like summer and fall met up to create a sandwich. I’m envisioning a picnic at the pond in the photo.

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