Whether you’re serving in bite-size portions for a party or pulling it together as a lunch on a busy weekday, this avocado chicken salad is a way to enjoy a popular classic dish in a more healthy way.
Usually made with mayonnaise, we opt to use mashed avocado and lime juice to give the salad its signature creamy texture. It adds fresh flavor, color and a ton of nutrients, including potassium, copper, magnesium and vitamins B, C, E and K among others. Avocados are also high in monounsaturated fats, which are associated with better heart and brain health, as opposed to the saturated fat found in mayo. Adding diced apple, onion and red bell pepper provide a pleasing contrasting crunch, as well as bulking up with recipe’s nutrition content with added fiber and vitamins.
This recipe has the salad served in individual cucumber cups, perfect for a bridal shower or other party. But you could also make the chicken salad and eat a scoop of it as a delicious lunch in a romaine lettuce wrap or on whole-grain bread or crackers.
Avocado Chicken Salad in Cucumber Cups
(Downloadable/printable pdf version of this recipe)
Yield: 28 servings (1 cucumber cup)
Ingredients
1 ripe avocado, seeded and peeledJuice of 1 lime
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup finely chopped cooked chicken
1 apple, cored and finely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
¼ cup finely chopped red pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3-4 large cucumbers
Directions
In a small bowl, mash the avocado with the lime juice and mix with salt and pepper. Mix in the chopped chicken, apple, red onion, red pepper and cilantro. Slice cucumbers into 1 – 1 ½ -inch thick rounds (approximately 28 slices). Scoop out the seeds in the middle and fill with 1- 1 ½ tablespoons of the avocado chicken salad mixture.Chef’s note: If you need to store this in the fridge, keep the avocado seed in the container with the salad. The avocado seed helps to slow browning and oxidation of the avocado. This works for any avocado-based foods, like guacamole.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING: 30 Calories; 1 gram Fat; 0 gram Saturated fat; 4 mg Cholesterol; 25 mg Sodium; 3 grams Carbohydrate; 1.5 gm Sugar; 1 gram Fiber; 2 grams Protein
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