This light and nutritious salad is a great way to make use of roast chicken leftovers. It would also be fabulous with leftover turkey, so make sure to set some turkey aside with this salad in mind.
I love the flavors here: there’s some sweet from the persimmon, some crunch from the pecans, and the fresh thyme adds a touch of herbal flair.
It’s important to use Fuyu persimmons in this and other salads: they’re the compact persimmons that stay firm, even crunchy, when ripe (as opposed to Hachiya persimmons: the oblong-shaped variety with much softer flesh and a very astringent taste unless perfectly ripe). Persimmons are high in antioxidants including vitamin C…they can be a little hard to find in some areas, but are definitely worth seeking out.
This chicken salad doesn’t have a lot of mayonnaise: there’s just enough to bind all of the ingredients together and give it a slightly luxurious feel. Look for a mayo that’s made with olive oil, if possible (many of the vegetable oils used in commercial mayonnaise aren’t health promoting). I also like the Vegenaise that’s made with grape seed oil.
Recipe for Chicken Salad with Persimmons and Pecans
*2 cups cold, cooked shredded chicken (I used leftovers from the roast chicken recipe found here; you could also use leftover roast turkey
*1 ripe fuyu persimmon (about 1/2 cup chopped persimmon)
*1/2 cup chopped celery
*1/4 cup chopped pecans
*1/4 cup chopped red onion
*1-2 tablespoons mayonnaise
*1/2 tablespoon Honey Ridge Farms Cranberry Chutney Honey Glaze" (or just use 1/2 tablespoon honey)
*fresh thyme leave- to taste (I used the leaves from 1-2 sprigs)
*salt and pepper to taste
Combine the ingredients in a medium bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve over greens, or with your favorite toasted bread (I like Udi's gluten-free whole grain bread). I also like this salad with rice crackers.
Related Recipes You Might Enjoy:
Persimmon, Parsley and Olive Salad from Herbivoracious
Whole Wheat Couscous Salad with Persimmons from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Chicken Salad with Grapes from Amanda’s Cookin’
Mayo-Free Chicken Salad Sandwiches from The Oyster Evangelist