This warm (yes warm) and wonderful mustard chicken salad came out of my burning desire to eat a salad in the dead of winter, combined with the fact that I only wanted warm things to eat. I know…there just seems to be something about the fact that when it is absolutely not salad weather in any way, shape or form, that’s what I need to have for dinner. What’s a girl to do when the salad craving strikes before the calendar flips over to spring? A girl makes a warm mustard chicken salad full of warm veggies and warm chicken and a snappy mustard dressing. Salad and coziness all in the same plate. Let’s make it!
This warm mustard chicken salad recipe is perfect for when you are craving salad on a chilly day!'Click To TweetIn all honesty, this winter hasn’t been that bad. There have been winters when my house pretty much either looked like this, was about to look like this, or had just looked like this:
Although we did have one storm that transformed us into Narnia. So you better believe that if I am going to have a SALAD for dinner on days like that (or really, any day when the thermometer is under 70) it is going to be a nice, hearty, substantial salad that gives me the strength I need to shovel the driveway again.
Okay, so I don’t personally shovel the driveway. Ever. But you get my drift. This scrumptious chicken salad fits the bill perfectly, and in addition the recipe has forever convinced me that if you needed pieces of cooked chicken for something, you MUST roast it in the oven. I used to be a poach it on the stovetop girl, and all these years I never realized that roasting it makes the cooked chicken taste one million percent better. One million, not kidding.
Anyway, after you have roasted the chicken and gotten your fabulous-tasting cooked chicken, you quickly dunk some broccoli in some boiling water, just until it is crisp-tender and a lovely bright green. After that it is just a matter of mixing up the mustard dressing and tossing the whole thing together: the chicken, the broccoli, the dressing, some cherry tomatoes and a little tarragon.
Now THAT’S a salad that a person can eat in front of a fireplace.
- 2 bone-in chicken breast halves
- Olive oil
- Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
- 1 small head of broccoli, cut into florets
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup mustard
- ¼ cup whole grain mustard
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- Preheat oven to 350. Place chicken in a baking pan lined with foil and rub with olive oil. Sprinke liberally with salt and pepper and roast for 45 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 165.. Cool, discard skin and tear chicken meat into bite-sized pieces.
- Steam or boil broccoli until it is crisp tender, about 4 minutes.
- Make the dressing by whisking the mayo, mustards, and vinegar together. Taste and add more mustard as needed. Add dressing by generous spoonfuls to the chicken until it is nicely coated.
- Add the tarragon, broccoli and tomatoes and mix gently to combine. Serve warm!
Lightly adapted from Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That?: Fabulous Recipes & Easy Tips
I love something simple with chicken!..Especially delicious roasted chicken! Yum!
I agree. Poached chicken is just kind of eh once you start slightly caramelizing it with roasting. So good. I'm loving the dijon in this chicken salad. I'm kind of obsessed with it.
Looks O SO GOOD… house and chicken. And there is your lovely green plate again! Can I have your house? Although, I am not shovelling snow, no way, Belgians do NOT shuvvle snow. The salad looks more like something I would prepare in summer or spring, but I have printed it out already.
I want a book with your recipes and photographs! And a green or blue plate as bonus when you actually buy the book. I would!
I used to make a chicken salad like this but with pasta shells added. That way the kids felt like it was Food and not a Salad . (rolling eyes)… I just bought a rotisserie chicken, it is too hot to cook 🙂 So I can make the same sort of thing with that .
Thanks for the idea 🙂
Yum. That does look hearty enough for winter. We have been focusing on hot food lately, but I think this probably could be served warm even…
Kate, your house is a dream.
Glad I stumbled onto your blog. Love the photos!
Your dishes look yum … loved the presentation of the food ! good work
you can view some of my dishes on http://kitchensojourn.blogspot.com ! i would be really happy if you follow it
Love the sound of a mustard chicken salad! Love the zesty ingredients in here. Perfect for lunch!
I think mustard is a seriously under appreciated condiment, and I’m on a mission to remedy that! 🙂
Yup. Roasted chicken is just so much better than poached. And roasted chicken with mustard dressing sounds divine!
I promise it is divine! 🙂
Shoveling snow is good ideally, but then I start and it’s just not fun. Better to leave it to someone else while I stay inside and cook cozy food.
This salad is amazing! Such a good transitional seasonal meal!
I would always opt for the staying inside and cooking choice, as the Southern husband can tell you! Especially if he is the recipient of the cooking! 🙂
It is warm here already, but I can and do eat warm salads all year long, so I can’t wait to add this one to the list! Loving the roasted chicken, broccoli and mustard in here! This is a salad I can totally get down with! Yum Yum! Cheers, friend!
P.S. Not jealous of that driveway and all that snow!! Hope it warms up there soon!! xo
It was warm here for a hot second (see what I did there??) but we are back to cold rain. I say, bring on the warm salad! Send that springtime weather up here, my friend!~ xoxo
Ahh… I’ve always wondered, what do you do when you need salad, but it’s not Salad Weather? Hehe. Love that you created this warm salad chockfull of tasty ingredients! 🙂 Happy Monday, Kate. 🙂
When you gotta have salad, you do what you gotta do. 🙂 Happy Tuesday, my friend!
The combination of crisp, crunchy, and juicy elements in this is totally craveable.
Craveable! My new favorite word. 🙂
Love the sound of mustard chicken. And love how beautifully you have combined all the yummy goodness in that bowl. Super yum!
Thank you! It’s one of our wintertime faves. 🙂
uh…your house is beautiful, snow or no!
i recently had warm chicken on top of cool greens and it was quite delicious. i support this salad!
Thanks Grace! The snow is so pretty, so long as someone else is holding the shovel!