Quick Turmeric Chicken Salad

This turmeric chicken salad is bathed in a tangy, creamy dressing perfectly flavored with turmeric and tahini and loaded with crunchy veggies like carrots and cabbage. Perfect for lunch at home or to make ahead, you’ll love this is powerhouse salad!

Allow Me to Introduce You to the Turmeric Chicken Salad of Your Dreams

Do you have plans for lunch? Well, now ya do! Allow me to introduce you to this chicken salad with turmeric and tahini dressing, which is creamy, tangy, crunchy, and totally crave-worthy. Truly, this powerhouse salad is packed with so much goodness, I really don’t know where to begin.

First, it’s loaded with protein-forward chicken plus all kinds of colorful, crunchy veggies. And then? Well then, there’s the absolutely addictive creamy dressing made with tahini and turmeric. The creaminess in the dressing comes from tahini, a super yummy sesame paste that adds tons of richness to the mix, without mayo or dairy. Also, there’s a hefty dose of glowy turmeric to make the whole thing a party.

The inspiration came from a salad similar at a cafe recently, and knew I had to recreate it. Using the original recipe as a guide, I bumped up the veggies and added raisins for a touch of sweetness to balance the savory flavors in the rest of the salad. You can use store-bought, rotisserie chicken to make prep super simple if you like (one of my favorite shortcuts that I use often, like in my favorite chicken salad with dried cranberrries), or use leftover chicken from dinner another night. I personally like to make a double batch of this salad, and pack it in mason jars to take on-the-go throughout the week. I hope you’ll try this one soon!

Recipe Adaptations & Notes for Easy Tahini Chicken Salad

• Serve the chicken and veggies separately on a plate, with the dressing on the side for dipping.
• For a vegetarian option, or to bump up the plant power, swap the chicken for 1-2 cans of drained and rinsed cans of chickpeas. Lightly smash half the chickpeas, then proceed with the recipe.
• Chopped green apple would also be a nice addition to this salad.
• This salad can be made ahead and actually tastes better the next day. Store, covered and refrigerated, for up to three days.

5 stars (13 ratings)

Quick Turmeric Chicken Salad

by Robyn Conley Downs

Servings: 4 servings

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 15 minutes mins

This quick turmeric chicken salad is bathed in a tangy, creamy dressing perfectly flavored with turmeric and tahini & loaded with crunchy veggies like carrots and cabbage. You're going to fall in love this is powerhouse salad!

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Ingredients

For the Turmeric Tahini Dressing

• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 Tablespoon tahini (sesame seed butter)
• 1 garlic clove, minced or finely grated
• 1 teaspoon honey
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

For the Salad

• 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup slaw mix or finely shredded cabbage
• 1-2 green onion, finely chopped
• ¼ cup sulfite-free raisins

Equipment

• Chef's Knife
• Cutting Board

Instructions 

• In a medium bowl, add the turmeric, tahini, garlic, honey, salt, pepper, and vinegar, stirring to combine. Drizzle in the olive oil and whisk until smooth. Alternatively, add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
• In a large bowl, add the chicken, carrots, slaw or cabbage, green onions, and raisins. Add the dressing, stirring to combine. Allow to sit for 15 minutes for the flavors to combine.
• Serve over greens, if desired.

Notes

• Shredded rotisserie chicken works well for this recipe, or any pre-cooked and chopped chicken.
• Chopped green apple would also be a nice addition to this salad.

Course: Lunch, Salad

Cuisine: American

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 4), Calories: 351kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 16g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 228mg, Potassium: 404mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 5394IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 36mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition disclaimer

Did you make this recipe?If you do, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me at @realfoodwholelife so I can see!

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