Bright, fresh, creamy, and crisp, this salad is packed with flavor! The chicken is partnered with crisp sweet/tart apples, celery, and fennel, and tossed in a light mayo dressing with fresh dill. Easy, quick, healthy, and amazing!

I love how this salad is "just creamy enough"; it's not overly heavy, which means you can taste each individual ingredient. You know how chicken salad can sometimes be cloyingly mayonnaise-y? That's not the the case here! Plus, the apples and fennel add freshness and crunch to every bite. 

The apples partner perfectly with the anise essence of the fennel and the sweet, feathery dill.  Any apple variety works, so you can choose your favorite, whether it's tart or sweet, or a combination of both.

Feel free to choose your favorite mayonnaise here. You can use regular, light, olive oil-based, and/or vegan. You can also use plain Greek yogurt. 

Since this recipe uses cooked chicken, it's an excellent option for when you have leftover chicken from a previous meal! Grilled, roasted, sautéed, and/or poached, anything works. As does rotisserie chicken meat! 

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS 

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon olive oil 

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, or 1/2 teaspoon dried 

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 

4 cups cubed cooked chicken 

1 cup chopped celery 

1 apple (such as Mackintosh, Honeycrisp, or Jonagold), cored and cubed

1 cup chopped fennel, plus fennel fronds for garnish

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, olive oil, dill, and Dijon mustard. Fold in the chicken, celery, apple, and fennel. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Garnish with fennel fronds and serve.