Chicken Salad with Walnuts and Grapes

You may think I have a "thing" for roasted fruits and veggies. I must confess that I do--primarily because of the intense flavor. But also because I sometimes buy too many grapes, strawberries, or cherry tomatoes and they may be on the verge of going squishy. Roasting comes in so handy.














¾ cup mayonnaise
Note: You can use some thick yogurt in place of some of the mayonnaise.
Zest of 1 lemon, see photos if you need them
Juice from ½ lemon
½ teaspoon salt or to taste
1/8 teaspoon pepper or to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
4 individual chicken breasts, poached or microwaved, roughly chopped or shredded
Note: See instructions for poaching chicken breasts.
OR
4 cups leftover roasted chicken, bones and skin removed, roughly chopped or shredded
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
½ cup finely chopped celery (about 1 stalk)
1 cup halved red seedless grapes or ½ cup Roasted Grapes
¾ cup roughly chopped walnuts, lightly toasted
Greens, if desired

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice, salt, and pepper. Add the chives, parsley and tarragon; mix gently.
2. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, onion, celery, and grapes. Add the mayonnaise mixture and fold together to combine. Add more mayonnaise if the mixture is too dry. Season to taste. Chill until ready to serve.
3. Just before serving, stir in the toasted walnuts. If desired, serve over or surrounded by greens.

4-6 servings
Adapted from The New York Times Sunday Magazine