Keep it simple, keep it seasonal
In my opinion, the best dishes are always those which are simply prepared with fresh, seasonal ingredients. In Portland, I am lucky to have access to several great farmers markets and also keep a small herb and veggie garden at home. As a result, my cooking evolves with each season, depending on what looks particularly good at the market or what is ready to be harvested from my own garden.
Inspiration from my travels
Other sources of food inspiration come from my travels. In a recent post titled “Eating our Way Through Paris,” I wrote about some of the delicious meals my fella and I consumed in Paris this time last year and how they shaped some of our favorite memories of the trip. My French Chicken Salad is one of my favorite ways to pay homage to the light floral and citrus notes that were so prevalent on our trip to Paris, while also eating seasonally in the Northwest.
As spring is in full force, our market is chock full of the green onions, celery, and fresh herbs that are used in this dish. Currently, my own herb garden is producing ample amounts of fresh chives and French tarragon which I love using to amplify simple dishes like this French Chicken Salad, as well as toss into marinades, dressings, and even eggs.
I generally use an organic dried Herbs de Provence mix in lieu of making my own because I use such a small amount in this recipe. However, all of the herbs found in the mix should be plentiful at most farmers markets should you wish to make your own. A typical mix is made up of herbs typical of the Provence region of southeast France, including basil, fennel, marjoram, parsley, rosemary, lavender, tarragon, and thyme, though you may see some with oregano, bay, and mint as well.
Put the ballpark mustard down!
The other item I use in both this French Chicken Salad recipe and consistently in my cooking is a good Dijon mustard, which I feel is too often lumped in with the yellow squeeze bottles hanging out in the refrigerator door. On our last day in Paris, I purchased a large jar of Edmond Fallot Dijon Mustard for around 6 euros (~ 7 US dollars). By no means was this an expensive or indulgent purchase, but it ended up being one of my favorite things we brought back from our entire trip because it really opened my eyes to how much a really good Dijon mustard could elevate a simple dish.
You can find Edmond Fallot mustard at some specialty markets and online at Amazon. My pantry always has an embarrassingly large stock of their classic Dijon Mustard and Dijon with Horseradish because I go through it so quickly.
Is one mustard really different from another?
In its essential form, Dijon mustard is a paste made from finely ground brown mustard seeds and verjuice (the juice of unripe grapes) or white wine, though some varieties may include additional spices. It is often spicier than a traditional yellow mustard owing to both the spice level of the brown mustard seeds and the low-acidity of the verjuice or white wine.
The bright yellow squeeze bottle of mustard, popular at ballparks and BBQs gets it’s bright hue from a mix of yellow mustard seeds and turmeric, which are mixed with vinegar, water, and other spices. This mustard is generally considered to be pretty mild because the spice level of the yellow mustard seed is on the low end and the acidity brought on by the vinegar also helps to mellow any heat reaction.
Essentially, a small amount of good Dijon will often offer a bit of complex spiciness to your dishes without overpowering the flavor with acid. Whereas a classic yellow mustard will allow your dish to take on a milder spice level and a vinegary flavor. For this French Chicken Salad, I highly suggest you use a good Dijon mustard as the vinegar in the yellow mustard will very much overpower the other great flavors of the dish.
To grate or to zest?
If you want to make things easy on yourself, a microplane will make quick work of zesting your orange. For years I zested fruit using a traditional fine grater and hated every second of it until I finally broke down and bought this one from Amazon; I use it weekly for things like oranges, lemons, limes, and ginger. If you don’t have one yet or aren’t interested in adding one more thing to your pantry drawer, the fine side of a grater will work, but there will likely be a little more elbow work involved.
My favorite ways to serve this dish
If you’re grain-free, this French Chicken Salad is great over a bed of salad greens or eaten simply on its own. If you’re not gluten-adverse or have a favorite gluten-free bread, this makes for a wonderful sandwich. I also love the idea of this topped on a grain-free baguette or cracker with a bit of extra orange zest on top for a gorgeous hors-d’oeuvre. This recipe should keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days, but good luck making it last that long!
A note for special diets
This French Chicken Salad is grain-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, nightshade-free and friendly for Paleo, SIBO, Keto, Low-FODMAP, and Whole30 diets.
French Chicken Salad
Prep
Cook
Inactive
Total
Yield 7 1/2 cups
Ingredients
- 3 large chicken breasts (about 2lbs), cooked and diced or shredded
- 1/2 cup celery finely chopped
- 1/2 cup green grapes, halved or quartered
- 1/2 cup green onion, chopped (just the green part if you are SIBO or Low-FODMAP)
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 3/4 cup Paleo mayo
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh orange zest, plus more to top if desired
- 1/2 tsp Herbs de Provence
Instructions
For the chicken:
I generally cook my chicken breasts in my pressure cooker first, 10-12 minutes on high pressure with 2 c broth or water (refer to the recommended minimum liquid for your machine). If you don't have a pressure cooker, boiling or baking is totally fine. If you want to make this dish really easy, shredded rotisserie chicken works wonderfully.
- In a large bowl, add the chicken, celery, grapes, green onion, and almonds. Reserve to the side.
- In a medium bowl mix mayo, Dijon mustard, chives, tarragon, orange zest, and Herbs de Provence.
- Add this dressing to the chicken and stir gently to combine.
Notes
If you're grain-free, this French Chicken Salad is great over a bed of salad greens or eaten simply on its own. If you're not gluten-adverse or have a favorite gluten-free bread, this makes for a wonderful sandwich. I also love the idea of this topped on a grain-free baguette or cracker with a bit of extra orange zest on top for a gorgeous hors d'oeuvre. This recipe should keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days, but good luck making it last that long!
Courses Mains, Salads & Dressings
Cuisine French
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1/8th of recipe
Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
Calories 318 | ||
% Daily Value | ||
Total Fat 23 g | 35% | |
Sodium 227 mg | 9% | |
Total Carbohydrates 4 g | 1% | |
Dietary Fiber 1 g | 4% | |
Sugars 2 g | ||
Protein 28 g | 56% | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Love the ‘put the ball park mustard down’!! Haha France seriously has such an amazing variety of mustard.
This is quite a switch from my usual chicken salad. It never occurred to me to use that combination of herbs. I love it!
Wow, you managed to pack so much flavor into this chicken salad. I eat chicken salad several times a week for lunch and I’m excited to change things up a little with this recipe!
This chicken salad looks excellent! Hubby loves the yellow mustard, I love dijon. Funny how that is. Dijon is so much more flavorful! I love the nice crunch of the almonds that you put in this salad and the much loved tarragon! I am going to be making your recipe soon!
I am also a huge fan of growing my own food whenever possible and using it to cook delicious food. The whole premise behind Earth, Food, and Fire actually!
Not sure if I have ever put mustard into my chicken salad, its an intriguing idea, and I like the flavor combo with the celery and herbs. I’ll have to try this for lunch this week!
I love the flavor profile of this beautiful chicken salad — from the herbes de provence and tarragon to orange zest and real French dijon. Heavenly.
What a nice idea to make a mixed dressing like this one. I would also think the grapes really set it apart for a delicious salad.
Too many people aren’t educated in the nuances of good mustard! Let them know girl!
My usual chicken salad is kind of boring. I’m definitely going to give this recipe a try – the addition of herbs and mustard sounds amazing!
I love chicken salad! I need to try your herb combination, sounds delicious!
This reminds me of a version of chicken salad that my mom sometimes makes, but better! I’m pinning this one for later!
If a salad is loaded with such amazing ingredients and flavors then I can eat it all with a big smile on my face. Looks so delicious.
Ahhh! This makes me miss Paris so much. We had the most wonderful time and ate ALL the tasty things there. The addition of tarragon, chives and orange zest sounds SO good.
YUM! This chicken salad looks soo good!! I have never tried packing in this flavour combo in a salad but I am dying to try it!!!
I hope you do Sam, it’s so good!
I love seasonal cooking, too! We joined a CSA several years ago and it completely revolutionized the way I cook, as sad as that sounds. It’s so easy to buy whatever you want, whenever you want it, from the grocery store, but eating close to home and in season is both a fun challenge and so much better for the environment.
I totally agree, Julie! I was just chatting with another blogger about CSAs. I used to use one years ago in college and I don’t remember why I ever quit. In summer we have ample farmers markets and veggies in our own garden, but I would really like to start using one again in the cooler months. I also really love the idea of the meat and egg CSAs because the quality is usually better than anything I can find at the store.
I totally agree with you about how wonderful it is to cook with fresh, local, seasonal ingredients! And lucky you in Portland – I’m kinda jealous! 😉 Really great tips in this post about things like choosing a perfect mustard (drooling over that Edmon Fallot!) and using that microplane grater! And ya know what – tarragon is my favorite “secret ingredient” for great chicken salad, too! What a fantastic post and recipe!
Thanks Shelley! I appreciate it.
I’ve been on a huge chicken salad kick lately and this version looks delicious – Love all the herbs that you’ve used!
Thanks for reviving simple French cooking at its best. Is it best to eat with a fork, or can we make sandwiches out of it too.
It’s great both ways. I also like it on top of salad greens.
I know that my family would enjoy this so much. I love the addition of the grapes in it and can’t wait to try it!
I love a good chicken salad, but I use go for the same ol’ one I always make. Can’t wait to mix things up with your delicious looking version!
I love chicken salad! It’s always such a great idea for dinner or lunch you can make quickly. This French chicken salad looks and sounds delicious!
I don’t even know what tarragon is, but I am intrigued! This chicken salad looks so good!
This looks delicious but I was wondering what’s the difference between mayo and Paleo mayo?
Good question! It’s very common for regular, commercial mayo to include additives that aren’t Paleo-friendly, such as sugar or soybean oil. A good Paleo mayo would include a super limited ingredient list, like egg yolk, avocado oil, salt, and lemon. If you don’t have dietary restrictions that would make additives a problem, you can definitely use regular mayo in this the same way.
Thank you for the infos 😀
This sounds so delicious–and is so beautiful, too! Love all this thorough information; totally agree that a zester is a must–SO MUCH better than a grater!
That looks absolutely fantastic! I need to try this soon!
I love all mustards – it must be the German in me! Love adding fresh herbs to everything these days. Your salad sounds perfect and one I will have to try. Thanks!
This looks so refreshing a delicious! I love that it has tarragon, as that is not a flavor that is used often, but is so yummy.
WOW! That sounds absolutely delicious! I am getting tired of regular chicken salad so I will have to try this to mix it up.
This chicken salad looks unreal! I love to eat this for lunch!
I would love to make this sometime. Chicken salad sandwiches are my favorite!
LOVE chicken salad, and this version looks to die for! Always amazing to cook with seasonal ingredients.
I love dijon mustard and always put it in my tuna salad. This chicken salad recipe sounds super delicious. Pinning to try!
This chicken salad looks so delicious. I know my mom would really love this one.
Sign me up! This looks delicious! I’ll have to try it
This looks so fresh and flavorful! I also love simple dishes with seasonal ingredients, so this is perfect!
This looks so yumm! I love chicken salads and this looks an easy recipe. Will try it soon
This looks so yummy for this time of year! I’m going to a few family events next month so I’ll have to try this out and see how everyone likes it.
This looks so delightful and fresh! I can’t wait to make it – the photos are so appetizing.
I agree that recipes with fresh seasonal ingredients are the best. I’m obsessed with French food and this salad is definitely something I new to make soon.
Wonderful flavors in this chicken salad. You can’t go wrong with French inspiration!
I just have loved chicken salad for years but never found a great one like this. I am so excited to read the ingredients and think this is what I have been looking for! Thank you!
I love chicken anything so this recipe is just for me.
This sounds amazing and love the variety of flavors with the tarragon and orange zest – yum!
omg this looks amazing!! you are such a talented chef!
This looks like the perfect summer lunch! Chicken salad is such a yummy dish
I am with you, Dijon all the way for cooking and this is one very flavorful chicken salad.
Going to use that dressing on everything, it’s so good!
I LOVE chicken salad but I’ve never heard of this kind of chicken salad! I can’t wait to try it!
I cannot wait to try this summer dish for my next picnic with my son! So fresh!
Such a winner of a recipe! Stunning recipe with amazing flavor! Thank you for sharing!!
I normally stick to my “normal” plain jane chicken salad recipe, but this one looks so amazing! Love all the vibrant and fresh flavors! Totally going to give this a try this weekend!
This is amazing!! Love all of the flavors.
Wow, this looks and sounds incredible!! I’ve never had this salad before but look forward to giving it a go. Thanks for sharing all the tips too.
Looks delicious! Would this work with Greek yogurt instead of mayo?
I believe so. I think it will be a bit more tart than using mayo, but the creaminess should still be there.
When I saw that this was Whole 30 I was intrigued even more. This is right up my alley. Yum!
I will for sure need to try this! I love that it was inspired by your trip to france!!
Delicious looking salad! I’m also LOVING those gorgeous tiny flowers in all the pictures. Too cute!
Dijon mustard is the best! I can’t wait to try this recipe this summer. How perfect for picnics!
This French Chicken Salad looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it! I’m curious if you made your own Paleo Mayo or if it’s store-bought? I’ve made it before but was wondering if you have a favorite brand you recommend. Thanks!
Thanks! I like to make my own if I have the time, but that’s not always the case. For premade mayos, Primal Kitchen makes a good Paleo one which you can find at Whole Foods. If you aren’t strict Paleo but want a really good mayo without all of the extra junk in it I highly recommend Sir Kensington’s. All of their condiments are low in sugar and have really clean ingredient lists.
Wow! This recipe looks fabulous! Pinning now to save for later. I’ve been on a brunch kick lately and this would fit in perfectly!
Anything that has “French” in front of it has my vote! I use a truffle mustard in my egg salad and yes, there is a huge difference!
This combination of flavors sounds wonderful! I’ve never had something like this, between the citrus and the grapes. It’s nice to have some unique recipes to try and for when we serve company.
What a delicious salad. We eat lots of chicken and frequently buy rotisserie chicken. This would be a great way to enjoy it this summer. I love the dressing for it. So yummy and creamy. I’m printing out this recipe now.