Chicken Salad with Pine Nut Dressing
User Reviews
5
Chicken Salad with Pine Nut Dressing
Description
This recipe starts by toasting pine nuts to intensify their flavor, then grinding them to a coarse texture for the dressing. The dressing includes rice vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, sugar, and salt, creating a tangy, slightly sweet, and savory mix.
The chicken breast is gently poached with aromatics such as onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and bay leaf until cooked through and tender, then shredded and lightly salted. Fresh salad vegetables or a spring mix provide a crisp, refreshing bed for the chicken salad, with optional additions like radish slices, bell pepper strips, and cucumber for extra crunch and color.
The shredded chicken is tossed in most of the pine nut dressing while reserving some for garnish. The salad is assembled by placing the greens on a platter, topping with the chicken mixture, and drizzling with remaining dressing for added flavor contrast.
This salad can be refrigerated safely for up to four days, making it a convenient make-ahead dish for lunches or light dinners.
Ingredients
Pine nut dressing:
- 4 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or any clear vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon mustard paste or dijon or yellow mustard if desired, hot, gyeoja, 겨자
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic minced
- salt about 1/2 teaspoon, to taste
Poached chicken:
- 1 chicken breast 8 to 10 ounces
- 1/4 onion medium
- 1/2 celery stalk
- 1/2 carrot
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 bay leaf optional
To serve on a bed of salad vegetables:
- spring mix a handful
- salad vegetables a handful
- 2 to 3 radish thinly sliced, red
Or to toss with salad:
- 1/4 red bell pepper julienned
- 1/4 yellow bell pepper julienned
- 1 kirby cucumber cut lengthwise and then thinly sliced diagonally, small
Instructions
- To make the dressing, toast the pine nuts in a pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. This will enhance the flavor. Grind the pine nuts in a blender or food processor (or finely mince them with a knife). Add the remaining dressing ingredients and blend well. Refrigerate while preparing the chicken and vegetables.
- In a medium size pot, bring 5 cups of water and the aromatic vegetables to a simmer over medium heat. Add the chicken breast and simmer over medium low heat for about 8 -10 minutes (increase the time if cooking more than 1 chicken breast). Remove the chicken and allow it to cool.
- When cool enough to handle, shred and lightly season with salt. Refrigerate while preparing vegetables. Wash salad vegetables in ice water and drain well. Cut them into desired sizes if needed.
- Combine the shredded chicken with the dressing, leaving a couple of tablespoons of dressing.
- Line the platter with the salad vegetables. Place the chicken salad in the middle. Drizzle with the remaining dressing, and garnish with a few pine nuts if available.
- OR thinly slice the optional vegetables and mix well with the chicken salad before serving.
Notes
- Toast pine nuts before grinding to bring out their flavor for the dressing.
- Poach chicken breast gently with aromatics for tender, flavorful meat that shreds easily.
- Use fresh salad greens and crisp vegetables as a base for contrast in texture and freshness.
- Store leftover chicken salad refrigerated for up to 4 days to keep it fresh.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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