Summertime Chicken Salad Cups Are Delicious!

Fresh fruit—including honeydew melon and mango—provides a delicious complementary note to this salad’s savory flavors, offered by jalapeños, red onion, and a dash of cider vinegar. Top it off with some fresh mint and basil, and everyone will be looking for seconds. It’s dairy free and gluten free, too.

Ingredients:

¼ cup water
¼ cup cider vinegar
2 Tbs. honey
½ tsp. kosher or sea salt
2 medium jalapeños, stemmed and thinly sliced crosswise (seeds removed)
12 ounces sliced, cooked chicken
½ medium cucumber; halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced
⅓ cup slivered red onion
¼ cup torn, fresh mint
2 Tbs coarsely snipped fresh basil
1 cup chopped, fresh honeydew melon
1 large mango, peeled and cubed
1 avocado; pitted, peeled and chopped
Butterhead lettuce leaves
Lime wedges
FOR THE DRESSING:

⅓ cup canned coconut milk
1 Tbs. coarsely snipped fresh basil
2 tsp. grated, fresh ginger
1 tsp. finely shredded lime peel
¼ tsp. coarse salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan combine water, vinegar, honey and salt. Bring to boiling, stirring to dissolve honey; reduce heat to medium-low. Add jalapeño. Cover and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 20 minutes. Drain, discarding liquid.
2. In a large bowl toss together chicken, cucumber, onion, mint, jalapeño and basil. Add melon, mango and avocado. Stir gently to combine.
3. For the dressing, in a small bowl whisk together coconut milk, basil, ginger, lime peel, salt and pepper.
4. Drizzle dressing over chicken mixture; toss gently to coat. Serve chicken salad in lettuce cups with a squeeze of lime.

PER SERVING (4 lettuce leaves and 2 cups salad): 322 cal, 11g fat (6g mono, 2g poly, 4g sat), 65mg chol, 505mg sodium, 29g carb (6g fiber, 21g sugars), 27g protein

SOURCE: The recipe by Laura Marzen, RD for Delicious Living is posted by permission Delicious Living (and its parent company New Hope Network), a trusted voice in the natural living community for 30 years.