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Want to know the magic equation for the perfect salad? Greens. Something crunchy. Something creamy. Something sweet. Bonus points for ingredients that hit two categories! If you're in a salad rut or just looking for a new flavor combo, give this one a try!
Brussels Sprouts - greens and crunchy
Apple - sweet and crunchy
Raisins - sweet
Pecans - crunchy
Celery & onions - crunchy
Dressing - creamy
When I first came up with this recipe, I was planning to make a chicken salad with a few shredded brussels sprouts thrown in. Then I thought... the more sprouts, the merrier! So it kind of turned into chicken salad/slaw combo! I happened to have a lot of great mix-ins already on hand, so it just spiraled out of control, and what resulted was this creamy crunchy and oh-so-satisfying all-in-one lunch!
I highly recommend you eat this out of a bowl with a spoon! It will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days (the sprouts hold up pretty well), so you can make it ahead of time and have lunch ready to go for a couple of days!
Don't forget to tag me on Instagram (@mariamakesstuff, #mariamakes) if you give this recipe a try!
SHORTCUTS & TOOLS:
FOOD PROCESSOR: I have this one (though any that has a slicing blade will work!). In this recipe, I used my food processor both to slice the brussels sprouts AND to chop up the chicken!
If you don't have a food processor, you just need a trusty knife and a cutting board!
PRE-COOKING CHICKEN FOR THE FREEZER: I'm sure you'll notice that in many of my recipes, I simply call for "pre-cooked chicken" or "diced chicken breast" or something like that. I recommend cooking a big batch of chicken breast (we're talking like 2 cookie sheets worth) at once (cut into pieces, season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, bake @ 375 for 15-20 min or until cooked through), chopping it up, and freezing it in 2 and 4 cup packs. That way, you're ready to go for a million different recipes!
Chopped Chicken & Brussels Sprouts Salad
[Whole30 - Paleo - Gluten Free - Grain Free - Dairy Free]
Ingredients:
2 cups pre-cooked thinly sliced chicken
4 cups shredded brussels sprouts
2 stalks celery, diced
1 honeycrisp apple, chopped
1/3 cup minced onion
1/3 cup roasted pecan pieces
1/4 cup raisins
For the dressing:
1/2 cup homemade mayonnaise
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp spicy brown mustard
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions:
If you're starting with raw chicken, season it with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, then bake at 375 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes or until it is cooked through. Allow it to cool, then thinly slice (I used my food processor's slicing blade for this and it worked like a champ).
To chop your brussels sprouts, roll a bunch of them out on a cutting board and thinly slice them. You can cut the ends off first if they bother you, but again, easiest to just dump them into a food processor (slicing blade) and run them through! I can do an entire 2lb bag in about 30 seconds!
Cut celery into thin strips then dice. Mince onion. Cut apple in quarters, core, then chop. You want the sprouts, chicken, and apples to be similarly sized and small-ish so you can get a goood mix of everything on your fork at once!
In a large bowl combine chicken, brussels sprouts, celery, apple, onions, pecans, and raisins.
In a small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients, mixing with a fork or a whisk.
Pour dressing over salad ingredients and toss to combine.
