Creamy Tarragon Chicken Salad

From EatingWell: August/September 2006 — Subscribe Now!

Reduced-fat sour cream and mayo make a sumptuous, creamy dressing for a considerably lightened take on chicken salad. Oven-poaching the chicken in broth intensifies its flavor and keeps it moist and succulent. Combined with sweet grapes and aromatic tarragon, this is an elegant version of chicken salad that's wonderful on a bed of mixed greens or a sandwich with nutty whole-grain bread.

READER'S COMMENT:

"This was fantastic! I used non-fat sour cream instead of the reduced fat, fresh tarragon instead of dried, green grapes instead of red (I only had green) and chopped almonds instead of walnuts cause I didn't have any and I had ran across...

Comments

Comment	Posted
This was fantastic! I used non-fat sour cream instead of the reduced fat, fresh tarragon instead of dried, green grapes instead of red (I only had green) and chopped almonds instead of walnuts cause I didn't have any and I had ran across an almost identical recipe that used them instead as well. I also grilled the chicked, soaking it in the chicken broth for a few minutes on each side before cooking it and I added some onion for some extra flavor. Delicious! Will definitely be making it again! Jennifer, smithtown, NY	8 weeks 2 days ago
I won't make this again. I didn't like the tarragon/grape/walnut combination and the chicken was bland. If I made it again I would use breast and thigh chicken meat and sub out the tarragon for something lighter, like cilantro or even just parsley. Melissa, quakertown, PA	8 weeks 2 days ago
Fantastic recipe, but using only one cup of chicken broth can make the breast tops dry--and tender, moist chicken is key to this recipe. Either brine the breasts for an hour before cooking or feel free to use a lot more broth and poach. I do the latter until the breasts are nearly covered, and then I'll turn the breasts sometimes, too, depending on how they're looking. I substitue or mix pecans in as well, and make a few extra to use as garnish on the top. They're nice and crunchy that way! Jim Stark, Milwaukee, WI	8 weeks 2 days ago
Excellent recipe! Try to make all the ingredients close to the same size (chicken, celery and walnuts). I did not chop the walnuts, used walnut pieces instead. I loved the flavor. My husband had no idea it was a lower fat recipe. It is easy to double or triple for a large group of people. This is a keeper! Lauren, Middleboro, MA	8 weeks 2 days ago
I made chicken salad sandwiches for a bridal shower with this recipe. They were a big hit and everyone was asking for the recipe. Melissa, fort wayne, IN	8 weeks 2 days ago
I love this chicken salad recipe. I agree with the previous review that the tarragon is a little overpowering (and I chose this recipe from the other chicken salad recipes because I love tarragon). I use fresh tarragon, and a bit less than called for. To make this really fast, I buy grilled chicken from my grocery store deli, then it's just chopping and mixing. I also cut back on the amount of "dressing" since I don't like mine so mayonnaise-y. bethramage	10 weeks 5 days ago
Being in the mood for a chicken salad sandwich this looked delish. Yet I was a little dissapointed. the tarragon is a little to overwhelming for my taste, next time I would use less. The idea of using baked chicken was the best part as the chicken was more savory. It needs something though to give it a kick. Maybe apples? something sweet.	10 weeks 5 days ago