Herbaceous and Zesty are a couple of words that come to mind when I think of this Green Goddess Chicken Salad recipe. I have also included a few things to give it some extra crunch, and I have to say, they make it great!
I love to make a Green Goddess Chicken Salad Sandwich with this recipe, but it is equally great eaten in lettuce cups or on crackers. If you are a BIG fan of Green Goddess, check out my dressing recipe, as well as my Green Goddess potato salad and pasta salad linked at the bottom of this post.
Ingredients
I've included water chestnuts and green cabbage to give a little extra crunch to this chicken salad. I then use the feta, tomato, and lettuce to layer up a sandwich on some beautiful sourdough bread.
One ingredient that I really enjoy is the Rosé vinegar, it brings a wonderful tart sweetness to the final product that I LOVE.
What you need:
- Cooked Chicken
- English Cucumber
- Red Onion
- Green Cabbage
- Rosé Vinegar
- Basil leaves
- Dill
- Green Onions
- Chives
- Water Chestnuts
- Green Goddess Dressing
- Kosher Salt, Diamond Crystal
- Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
- Sourdough Bread Slices
- Romain Lettuce Leaves
- Hot House Tomato
- Sheep’s Milk Feta Cheese
See the recipe card for full quantities.
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the post, or scroll to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe card with ingredient measurements and instructions.
Method
I typically make this recipe when I have leftover chicken lying around that I need to use up. You can also use a rotisserie chicken that you remove from the bones and chop up. Whichever you use, prepare your chicken first and have it ready.
To make the salad, first dice the onion and cucumber, and shred the cabbage, then toss it together in a large bowl with the vinegar. This will give these veggies a quick pickle, and take the harsh bite off of the onion.
Add the chicken, green goddess dressing, herbs, and roughly chopped water chestnuts into the bowl and give everything a good toss to combine.
To made a sandwich with the green goddess chicken salad you just whipped up, start with a slice of sourdough, then add lettuce leaves, the salad, and sliced tomato, and top with slices of feta cheese. Finish with that second slice of bread and slice in half.
That's my favorite way to make a sandwich with this chicken salad. It turns out so beautiful and is so full of flavor. You can also toast the bread if you like.
While I made sandwiches with this Green Goddess Chicken Salad here, it is also great in lettuce cups for a lighter version and I even enjoyed it with some crackers as a snack too.
Notes & Tips
Prep is the name of the game for quick success with this recipe. If you are intentionally only making this recipe, cook some chicken beforehand by either poaching or grilling some up. This is also a great place to use some leftover chicken that you may have already cooked or grilled.
I also sometimes simply utilize a rotisserie chicken from the store for this. Whichever method you choose to use, have your chicken ready before you start.
The other thing you want to have ready is the Green Goddess Dressing. I whip mine up in a blender to make easy work of it. I often do a double batch that you can save for other green salads, meal prep, or for some other recipes I have shared that also utilize it. I have listed those out just below the next photo.
One thing that I absolutely LOVE to do in recipes like this is to quickly pickle the onion and in this case the cabbage and cucumber too. When you start your mixture, starting those first with the vinegar takes the raw bite off of the onion especially and gives it a more delicate and sweet flavor instead of a harsh bitter bite.
I have shown this chicken salad layered up on bread with lettuce, tomato, and sliced feta. I like to buy large blocks of feta from Costco, I take one and slice it up for use on sandwiches all the time. Crumbles tend to run away from a sandwich, so use a sharp knife, and work slowly to get slices like you see here.
Substitutions
As I mentioned above, you can start with homecooked chicken that you have either grilled or poached or use a rotisserie. No method is more right or wrong. Do what works for you.
For the array of vegetables and herbs that you will find in this recipe, of course, you can leave anything out that you do not prefer, or swap them for something you have on hand. Red or green cabbage can be used, as goes for the onion, the color really doesn't matter, I use it for contrast and crunch.
My new favorite vinegar is Rosé Vinegar. If you don't have that or can't get ahold of it you can swap it for red wine or apple cider vinegar.
I opted to use water chestnuts for some added crunch in this recipe. That could easily be swapped for apple, jicama, or even your favorite nut.
When it comes to sandwich toppings, let your heart go wild. Sprouts would be a great swap for lettuce, and provolone would be a good swap for the feta too.
More Green Goddess Goodness!
I'm showing lots of Green Goddess love lately. It all started with my version of the OG dressing. It is so bright and herbaceous, and perfectly used in this chicken salad recipe too.
My Green Goddess Pasta Salad is another great side dish and it just screams SUMMER in a bowl. It is bright and vibrant, and completely PACKED with flavor.
For another all-green showstopper, try my Green Goddess Potato Salad. It shows off beautiful produce as well as the delicious bright and fresh dressing.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know by leaving a review or comment! And be sure to sign up for my newsletter, and follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!
📖 Recipe
Green Goddess Chicken Salad
Herbaceous and Zesty are a couple of words that come to mind when I think of this Green Goddess Chicken Salad recipe.
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked Chicken, diced or shredded
- ½ cup English Cucumber, small diced
- 1 medium Red Onion, small diced (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 ½ cups Green Cabbage, finely shredded
- ¼ cup Rosé Vinegar
- 10 Basil leaves, torn or chiffonade
- ¼ cup Dill fronds, stems removed
- ½ cup Green Onions, finely minced
- ⅓ cup Chives, minced
- 1, 8 ounce can Water Chestnuts, rough chopped
- ½ recipe Green Goddess Dressing
- Kosher Salt, Diamond Crystal - as needed
- Fresh Cracked Black Pepper - as needed
- Sourdough Bread Slices, for serving
- 8-10 Romain Lettuce Leaves, for serving
- 1 large Hot House Tomato, sliced for serving
- 1 fresh block Sheep’s Milk Feta Cheese, sliced for serving
Instructions
- If you are cooking your chicken fresh for this recipe, prepare it beforehand and small dice it. Alternatively, use the meat of a rotisserie chicken and shred or dice it as desired. Also, prepare your green goddess dressing ahead of time too, up to 3 days.
- In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, red onion, and shredded cabbage along with the vinegar. Toss to coat with the vinegar and that will give these vegetables a quick pickle.
- Then add the basil, dill, green onions, and chives to the bowl along with the water chestnuts, goddess dressing, prepared chicken, and a few pinches of salt and some black pepper. Give everything a good stir to bring it all together and form a cohesive mixture.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, and add a splash or two of vinegar if you like a more tart flavor.
- I like to serve mine as a sandwich, to assemble, lay out a slice of sourdough, and top with lettuce, chicken salad, tomato slices, and feta slices. Top with the second slice of bread, slice in half, and serve immediately.
Notes
Notes & Tips
Prep is the name of the game for quick success with this recipe. If you are intentionally only making this recipe, cook some chicken beforehand by either poaching or grilling some up. This is also a great place to use some leftover chicken that you may have already cooked or grilled.
I also sometimes simply utilize a rotisserie chicken from the store for this. Whichever method you choose to use, have your chicken ready before you start.
The other thing you want to have ready is the Green Goddess Dressing. I whip mine up in a blender to make easy work of it. I often do a double batch that you can save for other green salads, meal prep, or for some other recipes I have shared that also utilize it. I have listed those out just below the next photo.
One thing that I absolutely LOVE to do in recipes like this is to quickly pickle the onion and in this case the cabbage and cucumber too. When you start your mixture, starting those first with the vinegar takes the raw bite off of the onion especially and gives it a more delicate and sweet flavor instead of a harsh bitter bite.
I have shown this chicken salad layered up on bread with lettuce, tomato, and sliced feta. I like to buy large blocks of feta from Costco, I take one and slice it up for use on sandwiches all the time. Crumbles tend to run away from a sandwich, so use a sharp knife, and work slowly to get slices like you see here.
Substitutions
As I mentioned above, you can start with homecooked chicken that you have either grilled or poached or use a rotisserie. No method is more right or wrong. Do what works for you.
For the array of vegetables and herbs that you will find in this recipe, of course, you can leave anything out that you do not prefer, or swap them for something you have on hand. Red or green cabbage can be used, as goes for the onion, the color really doesn't matter, I use it for contrast and crunch.
My new favorite vinegar is Rosé Vinegar. If you don't have that or can't get ahold of it you can swap it for red wine or apple cider vinegar.
I opted to use water chestnuts for some added crunch in this recipe. That could easily be swapped for apple, jicama, or even your favorite nut.
When it comes to sandwich toppings, let your heart go wild. Sprouts would be a great swap for lettuce, and provolone would be a good swap for the feta too.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 178Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 158mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 13g
This is an estimated caloric value, actual numbers may differ based on the ingredients used.
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