In the throes of a Florida summer, especially when we’re working outside, likely on endless fencing, I don’t want piping hot soupy or steamy cheesy anything.

But you know what does sound good…

Yes: cool, tangy, spicy chicken salad sounds good.

ranch chicken Salad

My version of chicken salad is like most others in that it’s fresh and full of flavorful, crunchy, juicy little things. But rather than a thick mayo base, I lean heavily on fresh and bright ingredients like parsley, lemon juice, zest, apple cider vinegar and spicy pepperoncini juices. And, as the name so subtly insinuates, a homemade ranch dressing is pulling this whole thing together.

“What about grapes? And nuts?”

I don’t like grapes and nuts in my chicken salad.

I like grapes just fine. In wine. And other places they belong.

I like nuts too. But not in my chicken salad. And not in my carrot cake for that matter. I like nuts to be crisp and toasty, not wet and toady.

ranch dressing is a journey

I understand. I too used to make my ranch from Hidden Valley packets, red cap milk and common-folk mayonnaise for years. And I was happy.

At some point I embarked on the journey to a healthier ranch dressing, which necessitated a homemade mayo. It was so intimidating. I used to pull out the cookbook, open it to the mayo and aioli page, read the directions, and then gently close it and set it back on the shelf. ‘Maybe another day’ I told myself, remembering past attempts, ‘A day when I have the mental fortitude to follow directions and the grace to accept my own shortcomings.’

And this went on for some time.

Eventually, equipt with a new immersion blender, I broke the code.

(You literally pour everything in the bowl and blend it. That’s it.)

In an ironic way, the instant success mocked me.

“Wow” you say, “Reading this blog about your chicken salad appears to be a journey!”

Long story short, I have accomplished one of my core life goals and I now make ranch from scratch and it’s super healthy and tasty. I’m trying to stay humble about it.

it’s really easy

So for this ranch chicken salad you need a double handful of cooked, picked chicken, roughly chopped. Be it leftover grilled, roasted or rotisserie, it matters not. Throw that in a huge mixing bowl.

Now get to dicing, finely dicing, lots of fresh things; an entire bunch of parsley, one or two apples, three stalks of celery (minus the cantankerous white parts but keep the leaves) and a small onion.

My kids always request extra apples.

The more finely and uniformly chopped your vegetables are, the more likely you’ve done your taxes on time.

Press a few garlic cloves and throw them in, along with juice and zest of half a lemon, or the whole thing if you like lemon. (I do!) Add a splash of apple cider vinegar and a generous pinch of salt and a dash of pepper. I love diced pepperoncinis and a splash of their juices as well.

And, if you want to show off, pickled purple onions!

Now for the finale, add 1/3 cup (or so) of ranch dressing. The Hidden Valley packet type of ranch will deliver on flavor and texture, though the ingredients are pretty sad health-wise. Ranch from scratch checks all the boxes. Bottled ranch is for prisons and space stations.

Now stir it up and give it a taste test. Need more salt? Easy fix.

More spice? Choose fresh garlic, black pepper or pepperoncini.

More tang? Lemon or vinegar.

If you have time to let this sit and marinate in the fridge for a few hours or even a day, it’ll be even better as the flavors will meld together.

I love having this chicken salad and some good crackers on hand during the week for quick chicken-salad-cracker-kitchen-counter-picnic.

and if you’re going somewhere…

This is an unbeatable option for pot-lucks and party platters! It’s inexpensive, easy, high protein, fresh and light amid the endless carb & cheese options of most buffets. Set a generous mound of chicken salad atop some cabbage or other dependable leafy green and surround it with various kinds of crackers. A garnish of fresh parsley, a few bright pepperoncini and some purple pickled onions says, “I’m here to party.”

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P. S. the only thing better might be a buffalo style chicken salad…

-Courtney