Chicken Salad with Almonds and Cilantro
8 servings
75 minutes
Chicken salad with almonds and cilantro is an exquisite dish of French cuisine that combines the tenderness of chicken meat, crunchy almonds, and the fresh zest of cilantro. It is believed that such salads began to appear in European gastronomy in search of new flavor combinations. Here, boiled chicken breasts infused with the aromas of vegetables and herbs are sliced into thin strips. The dressing made from mayonnaise, sour cream, and lemon juice gives the dish a creamy consistency, while roasted almonds add a light nutty note. Jalapeño brings spiciness and freshness to the dish, harmoniously complementing the cilantro. This salad can be served as a standalone dish or as an elegant addition to a light dinner. It is perfect for summer evenings or festive gatherings, captivating with its refined taste.
1
Thoroughly coat chicken breasts (4 large halves with skin and bones) with salt and let marinate for 20 minutes in a bowl with the remaining salt. Occasionally turn the pieces of chicken.
- Salt: 0.3 glass
- Chicken breast: 1 kg
2
Rinse the chicken breasts in cold running water and place them in a large pot to boil with onion, carrot, and 4 sprigs of parsley. There should be enough water to completely cover the chicken breasts. Bring to a boil, constantly skimming off the foam, reduce the heat, and continue to boil for another 25 minutes.
- Onion: 0.5 head
- Carrot: 1 piece
- Parsley: 0.3 bunch
3
Remove the pot from the heat and let the chicken sit in the hot broth for 20 minutes. Then take the chicken out of the broth and let it cool. Reserve 1 cup of broth.
- Chicken breast: 1 kg
- Lemon juice: 0.5 glass
4
When the chicken cools down, remove the skin, separate the meat from the bones, and cut the meat into strips about 5 mm thick.
5
Chop garlic in a food processor, add 1 fresh jalapeño, mayonnaise, sour cream, freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of salt, and blend everything until smooth.
- Garlic: 3 cloves
- Jalapeno pepper: 1 piece
- Mayonnaise: 200 g
- Sour cream: 115 g
- Lemon juice: 0.5 glass
6
Add the peeled roasted almonds to the mixture and turn the processor back on. Wait until the nuts are chopped and mixed with the mayonnaise-sour cream dressing into a smooth consistency. Taste and add salt and lemon juice if needed.
- Roasted almonds: 260 g
- Salt: 0.3 glass
- Lemon juice: 0.5 glass
7
Mix chicken fillet with dressing and finely chopped cilantro (8 cups). If the mixture is too dry, add a little chicken broth.
- Chicken breast: 1 kg
- Coriander: 3 bunchs
- Salt: 0.3 glass
- Lemon juice: 0.5 glass