California Chicken Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or chopped
• 1 teaspoon olive oil (for sautéing if cooking fresh)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 cups mixed greens (romaine, spinach, and arugula)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced
• 1 ripe avocado, diced
• ½ cup shredded carrots
• ½ cup corn kernels (fresh or thawed frozen)
• ½ cup diced strawberries or mandarin orange segments (optional for sweetness)
• Mayonnaise ⅓ cup
• Greek yogurt ⅓ cup
• Lemon juice, freshly squeezed 2 tablespoons
• Honey 1 tablespoon
• Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon
• Salt ½ teaspoon
• Black pepper, freshly ground ¼ teaspoon
• ¼ cup toasted almonds or walnuts (for crunch)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or basil (for herbaceous notes)
• ¼ cup crumbled feta or goat cheese (for creaminess and tang)
• 1 small jalapeño, finely chopped (for a mild kick)