Tart Cherry Walnut Chicken Salad

 

Tart Cherry Walnut Chicken Salad
Makes ~ 2 cups.

12-16 oz Chicken Breast – cooked and shredded or see Lazy RD tip below

¼-1/2 c Chobani Plain Greek Yogurt--amount depends on how moist you like your salad

2 Tbsp Smart Balance Omega Plus Mayonnaise

1/4 to ½ c Dried Tart Cherries

1/4 - ½ c Crushed Walnuts
2 Tbsp Honey- to taste

1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

Salt to taste
Optional: 1 cup finely chopped fresh spinach

  

Combine ingredients in a large mixing bowl. You can add a little more or less of the yogurt or mayoniasse based on how moist you prefer your salad. In addition, experiment with the other ingredients to find the perfect balance of texture and flavor.

To allow flavors to blend and develop, it's best to let mixture sit in the refrigerator 

Serving suggestions:

Spoon mixture into a high fiber tortilla wrap/pita or serve on top of a romaine lettuce leafs cups.
This salad also tastes great on top of a bed of mixed greens with a side of whole grain crackers.

Nutrition Benefits:
Excellent source of low saturated fat protein. (Chicken breast, lowfat greek yogurt, walnuts)

Great source of healthy mono and polyunsaturated fats. (walnuts, Smart Balance Omega plus mayo)
Nutrient rich tart cherries , walnuts and spinach make this a powerhouse salad and when combine with a solid carbohydrate source should be considered as post workout recovery meal or snack.

LAZY RD Tip:

Don’t have time to cook chicken?
Try canned chicken breast. Drain and rinse with water a few times to decrease sodium content. 

With Thanksgiving around the corner, you can substitute left over roasted turkey for the chicken and dried cranberries for the tart cherries.