Curried Spinach Chicken Salad
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This Should Be Called Divine Chicken Salad
This is a unique recipe you won't find anywhere else, and it is simply divine. I enjoy it in a glass bowl with a fork and nothing else, but this will go great as a delicate sandwich, or on a bed of romaine (or even more spinach). This specific recipe makes 2-3 servings which is ideal for one person but double it to make a batch for a date night with the hunny, or triple it for a family get together.
It is simply that good. :)
Note: The cooking times below vary greatly. I use the slow cooker shredded chicken method, but if you use pre-cooked chicken, all you will need is the 20 minute prep time. If you bake the chicken to shred, it will take about an hour.
Please rate this recipe if you try it and like it, and, if you make any modifications let us know in the comments so we can try them out!
Cook Time
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 3 hours
Ready in: 3 hours 20 min
Yields: 2-3 single person servings
Ingredients
- 1 large chicken breast, shredded, (or 2 small chicken breasts, shredded)
- 2 celery stalks
- 1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves
- 1/2 cup small red seedless table grapes
- 2-4 tablespoons Olive Oil Miracle Whip Dressing, (Specifically it says "Olive Oil" on the jar)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp dried cilantro
- 1/2 tsp high quality yellow curry powder
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt, (to taste)
Instructions
- Cook and shred the chicken breast. If using a slow cooker, simply set the breast (fresh or frozen) into the slow cooker and add 1-2 cups water or chicken broth (for extra flavor). Cook for 3 hours on high (if frozen) or 1-2 hours on low (fresh), or if you need to be out of the house, cook up to 5 hours on low. Just be sure there is at least 2 cups of broth in the crock if you are going to leave. Any combo of high/low cooking is fine. The chicken should fall apart as you try to take it out of the cooker. When shredding, the chicken needs to be finely shredded and small. Place in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Wash and chop the celery into medium-sized pieces. In a small food chopper (or food processor) FINELY chop the celery. Place in the mixing bowl with the chicken.
- Similarly, FINELY chop the spinach in the small food chopper. It should be as small as the dried cilantro. Tiny. It helps if the spinach leaves are dry, and it also helps to pulse chop so you can see the progress, pushing down/packing the leaves every so often to ensure they all get chopped. Place in the mixing bowl with the chicken and celery.
- Cut each of the small red grapes in half. Put them in the mixing bowl with the other ingredients. Use more or fewer grapes to your liking. I prefer just enough to make it look pretty.
- In a small glass sauce bowl (or other small bowl), combine 2 of the tablespoons of Olive Oil Miracle Whip with the remainder of the ingredients well to make the dressing. Make sure to taste it! Add curry and/or salt or pepper if necessary, to your taste. Proceed only when it is DELICIOUS.
- Pour the dressing over the ingredients in the mixing bowl, and using a flexible spatula or other flat tool, combine everything together. Add the additional tablespoons of Miracle Whip (or even more) as needed, to your liking, but also make sure there is enough to thoroughly cover all the salad. Chicken salad should never be dry!
- Taste the salad again. Make sure it is yummy. Eat straightaway or place in the fridge until you are ready. Try to share it with someone but it's completely understandable if you would rather keep it to yourself. :)
- ENJOY.
Yum!
The Cook's Tips
- Honestly, you really should use slow cooker shredded chicken. There are a million recipes online for this and I may even create my own. You can shred to your liking, and the chicken is moist and perfect every time. Most of the fat will actually come out of the chicken during cooking, creating a very lean protein. If you cook it in the broth, it will already have a beautiful flavor even though you've used no additional spices. Finally, slow cooking is just better. PERIOD.
- Try swapping 1/2 c dried cranberries in place of the grapes for a tangier taste.
- If you like them, jazz up the recipe by adding finely sliced green onions.
- There is such a thing as too much curry. Add what the recipe calls for to start; if it's not enough, add 1/4 tsp at a time, but making sure you taste it every time. I tend to require more salt as I add more curry to prevent the dish from becoming bitter.
- If sodium is an issue, try leaving the kosher salt out altogether.
Nutrition Information
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving size: 3/4 cup | |
| Calories | 181 |
| Calories from Fat | 18 |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Fat 2 g | 3% |
| Saturated fat 0 g | |
| Unsaturated fat 0 g | |
| Carbohydrates 13 g | 4% |
| Sugar 7 g | |
| Fiber 2 g | 8% |
| Protein 3 g | 6% |
| Cholesterol 7 mg | 2% |
| Sodium 266 mg | 11% |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
* The above nutritional information was calculated using an online recipe calculator. It may or may not be incredibly accurate. Just eat it.
