Starting with cooked chicken--leftovers, perhaps, or a store-bought rotisserie chicken--keeps the preparation time short.
If you want just chicken salad with no greens, skip the lettuce; double the chicken,
cucumber, bell pepper, onion, and tarragon; and toss them with the dressing.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
For the Dressing:
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 teaspoons honey mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
For the Salad:
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 large mango, peeled and sliced (optional)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon, chives, or basil
1/2 pound mixed salad greens
DIRECTIONS
For the Dressing:
In a large glass or stainless-steel bowl, whisk together the lime juice, mayonnaise, and mustard. Grasually whisk in the oil slowly. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
For the Salad:
In a medium bowl, toss the chicken, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, mango, tarragon and half the dressing. Toss the greens into the remaining dressing. Put the greens on plates and top with the chicken salad. KITCHEN TIP:
The skin of a ripe mango is yellow and red, and its flesh yields to gentle pressure. If you purchase a mango that is underripe (green and firm), put it in a paper bag and keep it at room temperature to ripen. Once the mango is ripe, you can refrigerate it for a couple of days before using.