Sonoma Chicken Salad {A Whole Foods Copycat Recipe}

I recently fell in love with the Sonoma Chicken Salad from the deli at Whole Foods. I brought a container of it home - along with a round loaf of their sourdough bread - and was so sad when I finished up my last sandwich. I have been craving it ever since - big time.

My nearest Whole Foods is well over an hour away, so I don't get there as often as I'd like. In an attempt to satisfy my yearning for their chicken salad, I went in search online for a copycat recipe. I figured I might find one or two on a food blog out there. Instead, the top search result was the exact recipe itself provided directly on the Whole Foods' website.

Could it be ? Could this really be the real thing ?

Off to the kitchen I went to try out the recipe. Holy moly, friends, this is it. It's the real deal.

Not only will I get to enjoy this chicken salad more often, but it will save me a bundle. {I believe I paid around $12.00 a pound for it at Whole Foods.}

Don't leave out the poppy seeds, by the way. They are crucial {imo}. I love that little bit of crunch and pop.

I, too, like the {extremely simple and uncomplicated} way the chicken is cooked in this version ... the result is perfectly moist and super tender meat.

I urge you to give this one a whirl. It will be a great addition to your summer recipe repertoire. It's divine on a couple of slices of good-quality bread, but would be just as good on top of a bed of salad greens or in lettuce cups.

Greek Yogurt & Honey Dijon Chicken Salad

I am a huge chicken salad lover. This is a fabulous recipe that puts a little spin on the traditional version. I've been replacing some or all of the sour cream and mayo in recipes lately with low-fat Greek yogurt.  You'll get the same zip and zing, but you'll save tons of calories and fat. 

 

A little Dijon mustard and honey make an appearance in the "dressing" for this chicken salad, as well.  I dig the perfect balance of tang, slight sweetness and creaminess wrapped up into this dressing.

Depending on your mood and/or what you have on hand, this can be served wrap-style with tortillas, in pita bread, on any bread you prefer or on top of a bed of lettuce (or spinach).  I even like to scoop the chicken salad up with seeded sweet peppers or enjoy it on crackers.

Yields 2 - 4 servings.