Lighten up the hallmark leftover chicken dish with this NO MAYO chicken salad bowl! Everyone likes chicken salad different ways, so swap out some heavier ingredients and add a little superfood to lighten it up. Yup! A family style superfood salad bowl packed with protein, real yogurt dressing, broccoli, spinach, chickpeas, goji berries, and more!
Well, here we go again! Diving into the whole superfood anti-inflammatory gut healthy recipe schpeel. Ya, remember the detox broccoli salad? Well, I kinda sorta just made it into a whole meal. Haha, trust me when I say “GOODNESS!!” This the only way to eat chicken salad. It’s lighter, it’s freshers, it’s better for you gut, it’s loaded with extra superfood ingredients. Oh and it makes for one stellar meal prep bowl. Can you even deal?
One fact you may or may not know about me. I am not too keen on chicken salad. Unless I make it my way. With all the flavors or wrapped up in something delish, like mango and miso and cabbage oh MY! Truth be told, I don’t even like turkey unless I make it my way.CHOW FUN!
Maybe I’m high maintenance? LOL, don’t answer that. But really, I get so nauseous around chicken salad. Is that weird or what? Yep, it’s true. And I will probably be disowned from my family for saying I don’t like chicken salad, but I”m willing to chance that on the sake of taste and a settled stomach. Haha!
Today I am sharing my way (the only way) to make Chicken Salad, with a zippy yogurt olive oil dressing instead of mayo. Yup, totally copying my detox broccoli salad obsession. But hey, it’s good detox, remember? Filled with nourishment!
You see, this superfood chicken salad bowl will not only make you fall in love with chicken salad, but it will nourish, replenish, and rejuvenate your foodie soul with REAL food, prebiotic and probiotic rich food.
Can I expand on that for a second? Please just nod yes and follow me here.
This mayo free chicken salad bowl is packed with SUPER tasty SUPERFOODS, making it light, refreshing, and perfect for meal or BBQ party. Just sayin…
Chicken Salad Bowl Ingredients :
- Free Range Roasted chicken – Essential amino acids and protein! I like to add some of the skin to the salad for flavor. You can reduce the oil content in the detox salad to balance out the fat content. Either way, both are healthy fats that the mind and body will soak up and utilize!
- Detox Broccoli Salad – Roasted and raw broccoli, spinach, blueberries, sunflower seeds, and a tangy yogurt olive oil sauce. Except we’re going to double that yogurt sauce coat the chicken! –> Plant based Iron, phytonutrients, probiotics, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, fiber! You can’t get more SUPERFOOD than that ya’ll!
- Plain or Roasted chickpeas – The roasted chickpeas add a little crunch. Just sayin…
- Sliced lemon and lemon juice
- Cilantro or Parsley – both are detoxifying herbs filled with vitamin C, beta-carotene, chlorophyll, vitamin K, and b vitamins like folate.
- Peppercorns (red and black) and Red Pepper Flakes.
- Dried Goji berries to top – Provide High Levels of Antioxidants and Anti-inflammatory Nutrients. Plus a burst of sweetness.
- Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle – High in monounsaturated fats and Vitamin E. Helps you absorb all those other fat soluble vitamins. YEA BABY!
No Mayo Chicken Salad Bowl
- Total Time: 20
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
A lightened up Mayo Free Chicken Salad! A chicken salad bowl that’s perfect for a healthy meal or side dish. Spinach, roasted broccoli, berries, chickpeas, roasted chicken, and herbs tossed in a light yogurt olive oil dressing.
Ingredients
- 3 cups rotisserie chicken (skinless, pulled or shredded)
- 1 lb broccoli florets
- 2 – 3 teaspoons coconut oil or olive oil
- Optional ½ teaspoon everything seasoning of choice (dried herbs, red pepper, etc.)
- ⅔ – 1 cup cultured plain Greek yogurt or kefir yogurt
- 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 2 garlic clove or 1 teaspoon minced
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ cup diced red onion
- 4 cups spinach leaves
- 1 – 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries
- ¼ cup roasted sunflower seeds
- ⅓ – ½ cup chickpeas (canned or roasted)
- 3 Tablespoons dried goji berries (or other dried fruit of choice)
- Lemon slices
- ½ cup packed fresh cilantro or parsley. Torn to mix in and garnish
- Peppercorns or fresh pepper and optional red pepper flakes
Instructions
- First shred your rotisserie chicken (cooked) and set aside in bowl
- Optional method – Roast ½ lb of broccoli in oil for extra flavor.
- Preheat oven to 425F. Toss half the broccoli florets (around 2 cups) in 2-3 teaspoon oil and seasoning of choice. Place on baking sheet and place in oven to roast for 20-25 minutes. Place the other ½ lbs broccoli florets in a large mixing bowl.
- If you don’t want to roast half, just toss all raw broccoli florets in a large bowl.
- While broccoli is cooking, make your yogurt sauce for the chicken salad.
FOR YOGURT SAUCE:
- Mix the yogurt, vinegar, garlic, salt/pepper, olive oil, lemon juice, and onion in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Next spoon ½ cup to ⅔ c yogurt sauce over the chicken and toss all together. Save extra yogurt sauce for bowl.
- Layer your spinach leaves at the bottom of a large bowl. Place your roasted broccoli and/or raw broccoli, blueberries, sunflower seeds, and chickpeas on top. Toss all together with the remaining yogurt sauce (dressing) you have.
- Finally, add your chicken salad on top of the salad bowl.
- Garnish with goji berries, herbs, lemon slices, and peppercorns (if desired).
- Serve or store in fridge for later., covered. Chicken salad can be made ahead of time and stored in airtight container for up to 5 days. Great for meal prep!
Notes
Chicken salad can be made ahead of time and stored in airtight container for up to 5 days. Great for meal prep! If making ahead of time, keep salad and chicken salad separate until ready to eat.
If you are using greek yogurt, the mixture will be thicker. Thin it out with more oil or a bit of broth/water (if desired).
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 355
- Sugar: 13 g
- Sodium: 275 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.7 g
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 8
- Protein: 29
- Cholesterol: 53 mg
Keywords: salad, chicken, healthy, light, no mayo
Well, what do you think? Have I convinced you to try yet another mayo free salad? Come on now, hug your gut and gut healthy. Let’s all grab a fork. Mmm k?
If you can convince me to try a chicken salad with mayo, I’ll send you a free cookbook! Ha! But in the meantime, I suggest you love your gut and give this chicken salad bowl with creamy yogurt dressing bowl a whirl.
Cheers!
This looks amazing! Excited to try it! Do you have any suggestions for a substitute for the goji berries that would go well? Thank you 🙂
sure! you can use any dried fruit really. I think dried apricot (chopped) would also be divine!
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Lindsay this was the most delicious salad I have ever eaten!! I also made another version with canned tuna fish and it was as equally spectacular!! It’s a keeper! I pinned it to my Easy Recipes Pinterest board and printed the recipe for my collection!! Thanks so much for keeping my belly full!!
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Oh I am so glad Carol! I saw your tweet, looked awesome!
This chicken salad bowl is lunch goals!
Love this healthy meal. We are making it tonight because I have some leftover cooked chicken.
woohoo great plan!
I am not a fan of mayo – love this version! Plus all the delicious add ins, yum!
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Giiiiiirl I’m the same way with chicken salad – I just can’t do the mayo! I’ve been making chicken salad with yogurt (and more recently, avocado!) for the last few years and absolutely LOVE it! I’m itching to try your recipe! xx
And now… Now I want to make this one too! Gah! I want to make EVERYTHING you make. THANK YOU for feeding my inner hungryyyy person!
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use coconut kefir yogurt and you’re golden! I look out for you and your lack of gut. 😉 Mwah!
I love a good chicken salad!
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Exactly what I need for lunch tomorrow! Nice and light.
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I am ALL over this! I love a rotisserie chicken. When I buy them, I debone it immediately… and basically eat half standing there in the kitchen. Ooops…
Holy beautiful! Can’t wait to try this!!
Much as I love mayo, there’s often way too much in chicken salad. Your yogurt dressing is a delicious alternative! I’m going to make this all summer long!
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Love that this uses Greek yogurt instead of mayo!!
I’m so picky about my chicken salad but I love it when it is done right. Most of the time, it is made with too much mayo / dressing, but this is the perfect ratio! So delish on a salad or as a sandwich!
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