Best Chicken Salad

Best Chicken Salad
This recipe provides a delicious chicken salad & stock for another recipe.

Servings: 4

• 10 sprigs parsley
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 small onion, halved
• 1 small carrot, halved
• 1 stalk celery, halved
• 3 pounds chicken breast halves, on the bone and fat trimmed
• 5 to 6 cups chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned

• 1 stalk celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 4 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced*
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon**
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 1 cup low fat mayonnaise (we used Hellmann's® Low Fat)
• 2 teaspoons strained freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper

Put the parsley, thyme, onion, carrot, celery, and chicken breasts in a medium saucepan. Cover with the broth, and bring just to a boil. Lower the heat to very low and cover. Poach the chicken for 20 minutes or until firm to the touch. Remove the pan from the heat, uncover, cool the chicken in the liquid for 30 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and reserve the liquid. Bone and skin the chicken and cut the meat into 1 inch cubes. Discard the bones and skin.

Strain the broth and store, covered, in the refrigerator for 3 days or freeze for later use. Remove any fat from the surface of the broth before using.

In a mixing bowl, toss together the chicken (approximately 4 cups), celery, scallions and herbs. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Add to the chicken and mix gently until combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*May use 1/4 cup sweet onion cut into 1/4-inch dice

** May use **fresh dill instead of tarragon

Per Serving: 317 Calories; 1g Saturated Fat; 7g Fat (19.8% calories from fat); 1g Saturated Fat; 53g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 132mg Cholesterol; 923mg Sodium. Exchanges: 7 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.