Cape Cod Hen Salad Recipe: 15-Minute Picnic Meal

In the event you’re in search of a cranberry rooster salad recipe that can blow your thoughts… look no additional. We’ve made this Cape Cod Hen Salad month-to-month for years, ever since we recreated it from our favourite bagel deli within the neighborhood (it has one of the best taste!). As a cousin to the equally scrumptious apple and grape-filled Hen Waldorf salad, this scrumptious salad is ideal for a picnic, packed lunch, or any outside outing. Whether or not you’re headed to the park, the seaside, a household outing, and even tailgating, this meal is tremendous straightforward to pack and luxuriate in on the go. 

That is additionally generally known as “New England Hen Salad” if you happen to’re in search of that, This Cape Cod model is a flavorful twist on the conventional rooster salad however with cranberries, pecans and poppy seeds added. I find it irresistible a lot greater than the unique rooster salad. 

I additionally included straightforward (examined!) substitutions under to make this recipe, gluten-free, vegan, WW pleasant, and low carb. 

Elements

• 4 cups chopped cooked rooster (We maintain the Costco model of shredded rooster readily available for this).
• 3 celery ribs, diced
• 1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• 1/4 cup diced crimson onion

Dressing Elements:

• 1 1/2 cups mayo
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Optionally available Sandwich Elements: 

Serves: 8

Directions

1. Into a big bowl, add your chopped cooked rooster.
2. Add in your diced celery, dried cranberries, chopped pecans, and diced crimson onions.
3. In a smaller bowl, combine mayonnaise, honey, and poppy seeds to create a creamy dressing.
4. Pour the dressing over the rooster combination and season with salt and black pepper.
5. Serve and luxuriate in!

Now, let’s speak about some (examined!) enjoyable variations for each weight-reduction plan of this traditional Cape Cod Hen Salad recipe. As a result of all people has completely different preferences and a few persons are on a medically restrictive weight-reduction plan, In the event you’re like me and simply use rotisserie rooster and even canned rooster (it sounds gross, however belief me, it’s fairly tasty and a nice backup meal), or the shredded rooster from Costco, you’ll be able to whip this up in simply quarter-hour and meal prep it for the subsequent 2-3 days. 

Variations for Vegan/Low Fodmap/Keto/WW/Low Calorie Weight loss plan

1. Keto or low-Carb Choice: Swap out the honey for two teaspoons of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard to maintain it keto-friendly.
2. Low FODMAP: Use inexperienced onions (or chives) as a substitute of crimson onions, and make sure the mayo is freed from high-FODMAP components (you should utilize the Fig App to verify for Fodmap-free industrial product and types). 
3. Vegan: Use Hellman’s vegan mayo as a substitute, and purchase Butler’s Soy Curls right here (they’re laborious to search out in shops however they’re AMAZING as an alternative to diced rooster – 4 out of 4 of my non-vegan besties will fortunately eat these instead of rooster – which is the very best type of reward there may be as a result of they really hate vegan meals. I feel Butler’s soy curls style precisely like rooster and may’t determine why they don’t carry them in each retailer that sells unattainable burgers. Butler’s soy curls come dehydrated, so to make use of them- you simply pour heat water over them and allow them to rehydrate for 10 minutes whilst you chop the remainder of the components. 
4. WW (Weight Watchers): Use half fat-free Greek yogurt (or low-fat vanilla greek yogurt if you happen to can spare the factors) and half fat-free mayo. This may reduce down the factors, making it a guilt-free choice. For these monitoring recipes, this model is about 3 WW factors per serving (not counting the bread if you happen to make this a sandwich). 

Dietary Worth and Ideas

This Cape Cod Hen Salad is very good, and there’s plenty of completely different views of what makes a wholesome meal (all natural? Complete meals? Low Carb? Low Calorie? Vegan?), However I’m together with out there nutrient information from Joyful Forks under (observe: they’ve a recipe analyzer that may do that to trace recipes you discover on-line) so you may get an concept of vitamin based mostly on the recipe listed above (I didn’t do that for the entire variations like Vegan, Keto and so on, however you should utilize their recipe analyzer to make the substitutions that you simply used to replace it). Observe: I calculated each day values utilizing all-white rooster breast with simply the rooster salad, so if you happen to use rooster thighs, it could be barely greater. And including issues like entire grain bread to make a sandwich would additionally improve the energy. 

Picnic Perfection

Probably the greatest components about this rooster salad is how straightforward it’s to pack for a picnic or any outside journey. Simply portion it into single-serving containers and even make sandwiches utilizing whole-grain bread. It’s a scrumptious recipe that’s versatile sufficient to serve in lettuce wraps or on crackers as a ramification. For a lightweight summer season meal, pair it with some contemporary fruit or a easy inexperienced salad.

This Cape Cod Hen Salad additionally stands out due to its distinctive taste profile. The poppy seeds add a refined crunch, whereas the honey brings a pleasant sweetness that balances the savory parts completely. It’s an genuine Cape Cod rooster salad recipe that stays true to the standard flavors of the northeastern United States.

​Our Recent Hen Hack 

At first look, this recipe might appear to be you might want to cook dinner rooster earlier than you even get started- however you’re taking a look at all of it unsuitable! You should buy already-cooked chicken rooster in bulk at Costco for ridiculous costs, retailer it in 1-cup luggage within the freezer to shortly thaw, and use it if you want it (we now have a ton of recipes that we use right here with precooked rooster breasts if you’d like different straightforward concepts). In the event you don’t use Costco- you may as well use canned rooster, a rotisserie rooster, or you can bulk cook dinner rooster breast immediately pot with pineapple juice (freeze the additional for subsequent time). 

Cape Cod Hen Salad Recipe: 15-Minute Picnic Meal

 

This creamy Cape Cod Hen Salad is a month-to-month staple in our home. It is our go-to for tailgating, seaside journeys, RVing, and even packed lunches for work.

Writer: Rosemarie Groner

Recipe sort: Picnic

Delicacies: American

Serves: 8 Servings

Elements

• 4 cups chopped cooked rooster (We maintain the Costco model of shredded rooster readily available for this).
• 3 celery ribs, diced
• 1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
• ½ cup chopped pecans, toasted
• ¼ cup diced crimson onion
• Dressing Elements:
• 1½ cups mayo
• ⅓ cup honey
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• Optionally available Sandwich Elements:
• Bread
• Lettuce

Directions

1. Into a big bowl, add your chopped cooked rooster.
2. Add in your diced celery, dried cranberries, chopped pecans, and diced crimson onions.
3. In a smaller bowl, combine mayonnaise, honey, and poppy seeds to create a creamy dressing.
4. Pour the dressing over the rooster combination and season with salt and black pepper.
5. Serve and luxuriate in!

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Ultimate Ideas

Whether or not you’re making this for a household outing, a fast meal at house, or packing it up for a day on the seaside, this Cape Cod Hen Salad is sure to grow to be a staple in your recipe rotation. It’s straightforward to make, filled with taste, and adaptable for varied dietary wants. So, subsequent time you’re in search of a meal that’s each scrumptious and handy, give this salad a strive. And don’t neglect to share your personal model and recipe concepts – I’d love to listen to the way you make this scrumptious salad your personal!

Joyful consuming, and luxuriate in your subsequent picnic with this implausible Cape Cod Hen Salad!