Description
This Pesto Chicken Salad offers a fresh and vibrant twist on the classic chicken salad by incorporating aromatic basil pesto. Perfect as a light summer dinner or lunch, it combines tender diced chicken with celery, red onion, and pine nuts for added crunch, all coated in a creamy pesto-mayonnaise dressing. Serve chilled or immediately for a refreshing, herbaceous meal.
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 3 cups diced chicken (or shredded chicken)
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
Dressing
- ½ cup basil pesto
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Optional: freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the diced chicken, celery, red onion, toasted pine nuts, basil pesto, mayonnaise, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Mix Thoroughly: Stir the ingredients well until everything is evenly coated with the basil pesto and the mixture is fully combined.
- Serve or Chill: You can enjoy the salad immediately or cover and refrigerate it for a few hours to let the flavors meld and serve chilled. Optionally, sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top before serving for extra flavor.
Notes
- Use cooked chicken leftover from a previous meal or rotisserie chicken for convenience.
- Toast pine nuts lightly in a skillet to enhance their flavor before adding.
- Adjust the amount of mayonnaise or pesto to achieve your preferred creaminess and herb intensity.
- Serve this salad on a bed of greens, in a sandwich, or with crackers for variety.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days to maintain freshness.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
