Crisp Apple Chicken Salad

I make this chicken salad on the weeks when I cook a whole chicken on Sunday and want something cold and easy by Tuesday. It is one of those dishes that tastes better on day two, once the lemon and cinnamon have had time to settle into the mayonnaise and the apples have softened just a little.

Gala apples are a good pick here because they are mildly sweet and hold their shape when cut. Cut them just before you combine everything, though. Apple flesh browns as it sits in the air, and a squeeze of lemon helps, but a salad that is mixed right away keeps the pale, crisp look that makes it appealing in the first place. Celery adds the snap that keeps the mixture from feeling like a soft spread, and the raisins give small pockets of sweetness without any extra sugar in the dressing.

Use chicken that is cooled before it goes in. Warm meat loosens the mayonnaise and the whole bowl turns slack. If you have leftover roast chicken, pull the meat by hand instead of cutting it into neat cubes. The ragged edges grab the dressing better, and you get a more homey texture that suits a sandwich on soft bread.

Keep the salad in a covered container in the refrigerator and eat it within a few days. Give it a gentle stir before serving, since the dressing can pool at the bottom. I like it spooned onto big lettuce leaves, or piled onto toasted rye with a few extra slices of cucumber for cool crunch. A bowl of plain sliced fruit or a handful of unsalted nuts on the side makes a simple, filling plate.

If you want to build a full lunch around it, these recipes sit nicely alongside: Spicy Sriracha Stuffed Eggs for a little heat on the side, Warm Cinnamon Apple Skillet if you want something warm for dessert, and Crunchy Tangy Cabbage and Carrot Slaw for another crisp element on the plate.