If you are going to cook chicken specifically for chicken salad, the easiest thing to do is to poach it.
What I like to do is put a pot of 2 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon salt on to boil. As the water is heating, I cut skinless boneless chicken breasts into large (2 1/2-inch) chunks. When the water boils, I add the chicken, and return the pot to a simmer. Then I turn off the heat, and cover the pot and let the meat sit for 15 minutes in the hot water while I prepare everything else. Poaching chicken this way allows the chicken to cook gently, so the chicken retains more moisture.
After the chicken is finished cooking you can save the poaching liquid as light chicken broth.
Poaching aside, you can easily use any cooked chicken for this chicken salad—rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken, or roasted chicken. and even include some of the crispy skin in the salad.
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 pound raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2 1/2-inch chunks (or 2 to 3 cups cooked chicken meat)
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 4 to 6 green olives, pitted and minced
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 1/2 to 1 apple, cored and chopped
- 1/3 head iceberg lettuce, sliced and chopped
For the dressing:
- 5 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon plum preserves, or any sweet berry preserve (or a lesser amount of honey)
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
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