I went through hell trying to name this recipe. In my mind, I wanted to call it "Green Goddess" or something of the like. But this recipe has very little to do with actual green goddess dressing, and I knew that could be misleading. I then thought to name it after a famous green character, but naming this sandwich after the Hulk, the Grinch, or Shrek didn't seem appetizing. And as cute as it would have been to relate it to Kermit or Yoda, it still didn't quite fit. Looked at some songs with green in the title, and just felt awkward.
And then I googled movies with the word green in the title, and a childhood favorite jumped out:
I don't remember much about this film, other than a goat and some green paint and an underdog soccer team that learns the power of teamwork maybe. The movie definitely begins with a bunch of kids laying in a field and covering themselves in Cheetos so pigeons can peck at them. I feel like I remember a fantasy sequence where the opposing team was dressed as knights and the goalie was a Native American chief or something? I think this movie might actually just be an acid trip. It's on Disney+ now if anyone cares.
Anyway, that's the cute, cheeky name I decided to give this avocado chicken salad.
By replacing the mayo with avocado, you get healthy fats, although I still don't really know what that means. For extra flavor and green-ness, blend the avocados with parsley and cilantro. And to really pump up the green, all of the mix-ins are green: celery, scallions, pistachios... and golden raisins which come from green grapes (although if I'm being totally honest I made these with purple raisins).
Of course, you don't need to turn this chicken salad into a sandwich, but it is highly recommended. The only tricky part about this recipe is storage. As we all know, avocados will oxidize within hours, and everyone's got their own tips and tricks to try to stop the process. I've heard leaving the avocado pits in the mix, fortifying with citrus, topping with water... apparently the water trick actually works, but that seems to be a wiser move for straight-up guac. I've got two different ways to keep the oxygen out, and unfortunately they both involve plastic wrap.
Method 1: Keep the chicken salad in a large tupperware or airtight container, then press a layer of plastic wrap directly touching the top of the chicken salad, then cover with a lid. The direct contact significantly reduces the amount of oxygen coming into contact with the avocado, thus slowing the browning process.
Method 2: This my preferred method. Portion out the chicken salad into 4 equal portions, and wrap each of those individually in plastic wrap. This makes it easier to get out your portion when you are ready to eat, effectively being "meal prep-y" while also still keeping the avocados bright green.
This chicken salad makes a great lunch, so keeping it green is key. You could certainly half the recipe as well, but when you're a busy father that spends their entire day teaching online, any time you have to cook results in bulk portions.
Green means go,
~c.j.
THE BIG GREEN CHICKEN SALAD
PREP TIME: 5-10 minutes
ACTIVE COOK TIME: 18-20 minutes
INACTIVE COOK TIME: 10 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 30-40 minutes
YIELD: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 lb. skin-on chicken breast
kosher salt
cracked black pepper
2 ripe avocados
2 limes, juiced and zested
1/3 c. fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 c. fresh parsley leaves
1 c. finely chopped celery
3 finely chopped scallions
1/2 c. raisins (golden or purple)
1/4 c. pistachios
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425°F with a rack in the top third. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment - if using foil, spray with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper, place on baking sheet, and bake until fully cooked, 18-20 minutes. Remove and allow to ret at least 10 minutes. Remove and discard the skin (or, ya know, eat the delicious chicken skin) and chop or shred chicken into bite sized pieces.
Meanwhile, combine avocados, lime juice and zest, cilantro, and parsley in a blender or food processor. Season with salt and pepper, and blend until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add chicken, celery, scallions, raisins, and pistachios, and toss to coat. Serve over greens, on a sandwich, or with veggies and pita chips.
STORAGE
To prevent avocados from going brown, store in one of two ways:
Keep the chicken salad in a large tupperware or airtight container, then press a layer of plastic wrap directly touching the top of the chicken salad. Cover with a lid.
Portion out the chicken salad into 4 equal portions, and wrap each of those individually in plastic wrap.
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