Cottage Cheese Chicken Salad with Banana Peppers (Print version)
A creamy, tangy, high-protein chicken salad made with blended cottage cheese, banana peppers, rotisserie chicken, celery, and herbs.
# Ingredients:
For the chicken salad
01 -
3 cups (420 g) cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
02 -
1/2 cup (75 g) jarred banana peppers, drained and diced
03 -
1/3 cup (35 g) celery, finely diced
04 -
1/4 cup (35 g) red onion, finely diced
05 -
2 green onions, thinly sliced
06 -
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
For the cottage cheese dressing
07 -
1 cup (225 g) 2% cottage cheese
08 -
1 tablespoon banana pepper brine, plus more to taste
09 -
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
10 -
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
11 -
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
12 -
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
For serving
13 -
Romaine lettuce cups, cucumber slices, greens, or toasted bread
14 -
Extra sliced banana peppers, for topping
# Instructions:
01 -
Chop or shred the cooked chicken into small bite-size pieces. Dice the banana peppers, celery, and red onion, then slice the green onions and chop the parsley.
02 -
In a food processor, blend the cottage cheese, banana pepper brine, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt until mostly smooth and creamy.
03 -
Add the chicken, banana peppers, celery, red onion, green onion, and parsley to a large bowl. Spoon the cottage cheese dressing over the top.
04 -
Fold gently until the chicken is evenly coated. Taste and add more banana pepper brine, salt, or black pepper as needed.
05 -
Refrigerate for 20 minutes if time allows. Serve cold in lettuce cups, over greens, with cucumber slices, or as a sandwich filling.
# Good to know:
01 -
Use chilled cooked chicken for the best texture.
02 -
Drain banana peppers well so the salad stays creamy.
03 -
The flavor is best after a 20 minute rest in the refrigerator.