Chicken Salad Summer

How a simple lunch became the go-to survival tool during a season of organized chaos

Let me be clear: I never set out to become the sort of man who makes chicken salad on purpose. It just happened. One moment I was minding my own business, trying to get the pesky Roku to work so I could watch one of my favorite bushcraft survival vlogs, and the next I was standing in the kitchen, chopping celery with the self-assuredness of someone who says things like “I’ll just whip something up.”

That aforementioned celery is an understated, yet key, component in what’s become a summer staple in our house: Cherry-Apple-Almond Chicken Salad. This particular chicken salad has just enough crunch, sweet-tartness and creaminess to make you feel like life is back in control, if only for a few fleeting minutes. Why Chicken Salad? Why now? I say…why not? Because summer is chaos. Glorious, sweat-slicked, sunscreen-smelling, vegetable-gardening, car-sharing, door-revolving chaos.

By now, you know our kids are in college, which, in theory, means we’re supposed to have more time on our hands. What it actually means is we’re always one group text away from Venmo requests, requests to reload funds on the Starbucks app, disappearing bath towels, and urgent texts about what “preheat” means on our oven. (Yes, they’re that age where they can write Python code and explain Economic Market Elasticity, but can’t find the TJ’s Tikka Masala in the freezer. It’s right there. It’s always right there.)

Meanwhile, Jill is also in the busiest season of her life (thank you for the support of her incredible community of followers). She now speaks in algorithm, photographs our dinners before I can eat them, and says things like “Just give me ten minutes and I’ll batch-create the reels.” She’s amazing. She’s busy. She hasn’t sat down for lunch since Easter. So, when I can pull together a Tupperware full of fresh and flavorful chicken salad that keeps her fueled between writing posts and ring light touch-ups, I feel like I’ve contributed to something bigger than myself.

Now, I’m not saying this salad is a cure-all. It won’t make your teenagers respond to your texts with actual words, or get your spouse to agree on the right thermostat setting. But it does hold its own. It’s the kind of thing you can eat straight out of the container standing at the kitchen island while pretending you’ve got your life plans worked out. Or pack in a cooler to sneak away for one of those spontaneous evening Lake Michigan sunset roadies. You know, the trips that used to require seven hours of planning, six bags of beach toys, and at least one awkward bathroom stop, but can now be pulled together in less than 10 minutes. Oh, how efficient we’ve become in our late 40’s!

What makes this salad sing? The stars of this salad isn’t necessarily the chicken. it’s all the “fixins”: tart dried cherries, crisp green apple, a hit of Dijon, generous amount fragrant dill, more black pepper than you think you’d ever want or need, and crunch provided by sliced almonds and celery (which I still consider a vegetable even though I know deep down it’s mostly water and crunch). To be honest, you could substitute whatever the heck you want in this salad, and have it taste like heaven on earth. I just happen to be partial to the ingredients I used. As long as there’s a little crunch, saltiness, sweetness and creaminess, the mission will be accomplished.

The real reason I keep making this recipe, though, has less to do with how it tastes (which is, admittedly, very good), and more to do with the fact that it gives me a small, delicious sense of control. Life with older kids and a go-getter spouse is a kind of beautiful blur. Sometimes you need to ground yourself with something tactile—like dicing apples into cubes so precise it feels like you’re playing culinary Tetris.

Also, there’s something kind of great about opening the fridge and knowing there’s one thing in there you made with your hands, and that brings tiny bursts of joy to others who are passing through the kitchen, whatever time of day.

So here’s the recipe below, if you want it. I’d love to say it pairs beautifully with a chilled glass of Sauv Blanc on a patio, but if you’re anything like me & my wife, it might be eaten in the front seat of your car, or solo at your counter paired with a nice cracker while you tear open your freshly delivered batch of bills in the mail.

Because sometimes, summer isn’t about grand adventures or perfect schedules. It’s about little wins. Like a chicken salad that holds up for three days, gets better overnight, and makes you feel like maybe—just maybe—you’re doing okay.

Cherry-Apple Chicken Salad (Serves 3–4)

Ingredients

• 2 - 12.5 oz cans white chunk chicken (drained and flaked with a fork)

• 1 small apple, diced (Granny Smith or other tart-forward apple)

• 1/3 cup dried tart cherries

• 1/2 cup celery, rough chopped (more if desired)

• 1/3 cup sliced almonds

• 1-2 tablespoons (as preferred) fresh dill, finely chopped

• 2-3 tablespoons mayo (for rich creaminess—adjust to taste)

• 1-2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1 tsp honey

• Salt and lots of pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the all the ingredients and mix well to incorporate.

2. Adjust seasoning with salt (might not need) and pepper (we are generous with this).

3. Keep refrigerated.

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Serving Suggestions

• Piled on multigrain toast or croissant

• With your favorite crackers or cucumber slices

• In lettuce wraps or halved bell peppers

• Straight from the container, while hiding in the garage for five minutes of peace