HANDS-ON: 10 MIN. // TOTAL: 10 MIN. // SERVES 4
This clean chicken salad is quick and satisfying with a subtle Southwestern flavor thanks to cumin and lime—all reasons why it’s often my go-to lunch at the start of the week. Mashed avocado is a nice sub for traditional mayo, and a rotisserie chicken from the market makes this salad a breeze to pull together. I like to save a little avocado to chop and fold in for texture, and then serve the salad over a bed of baby spinach or greens.
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
2/3 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/3 cup chopped scallions
1 ripe avocado
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
11/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Place the chicken, tomatoes, and scallions in a large bowl. Coarsely chop three-fourths of the avocado and add the chopped avocado to the chicken mixture. Place the remaining one-fourth of the avocado in a small bowl; mash with the back of a fork. Add the lime juice, oil, salt, and cumin to the mashed avocado, whisking with the fork to combine. Pour over the chicken mixture, stirring gently to combine well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 2 hours.
(SERVING SIZE: 3/4 CUP): CALORIES 227; FAT 13G (SAT 2G, UNSAT 9G); PROTEIN 23G; CARB 5G; FIBER 3G; SUGARS 1G (ADDED SUGARS 0G); SODIUM 298MG; CALC 3% DV; POTASSIUM 9% DV
avocado
This creamy fruit soothes inflammation in the body thanks to monounsaturated fats and antioxidants. And avocado may even counteract eating some inflammatory foods: In one study, people who topped their hamburger with avocado had lower inflammatory markers than those who ate just the burger.
One avocado is more than you’ll need at one meal, so the trick is learning how to keep the unused portion fresh until your next meal or the next day; avocados will begin to brown once cut. Try these options to preserve freshness.
• Keep the skin and seed intact and rub the exposed areas with lemon or lime juice; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• Mash the whole avocado with lime juice and salt to make a quick guacamole. Cover with plastic wrap that you press down on the surface and refrigerate.