Lemon Pesto Chicken Salad with Broccoli

This is the kind of chicken salad I make when I have half a rotisserie chicken left over and a head of broccoli that is starting to look tired. Chopped chicken and broccoli get tossed in a dressing made from lemon juice, a spoonful of pesto, and a little reduced fat olive oil mayonnaise. The lemon does more than add brightness. Its acidity makes the pesto taste fresher and keeps the mayo from feeling heavy, so the whole bowl tastes lighter than the ingredient list suggests.

A food fact that surprises people: broccoli is a flower bud. Those tight green heads are clusters of buds that the plant would have opened into yellow blossoms if nobody had picked it. That is also why it goes limp and yellowish when it sits too long. Buy it firm and dark green, and keep it in the fridge in a loose bag. If you are chopping it for this salad, cut the florets small enough to fit on a fork with a bit of chicken. The smaller pieces soak up the dressing better, and you get more of the pesto in every bite.

A cooking tip I learned the hard way: let the minced shallot sit in the lemon juice for about ten minutes before you add anything else. Shallot can taste sharp when it is raw, and the acid mellows it. By the time the dressing is whisked together, the onion flavor is soft and sweet instead of biting. Don't skip that step if you can help it, because it is the difference between a salad that tastes finished and one that tastes like a list of parts.

Leftovers keep well for a day or two in an airtight container, though I would hold back the cherry tomatoes and greens until you serve, since the tomatoes release liquid and the leaves wilt. The chicken salad itself is also good stuffed into a halved tomato or spooned onto crisp lettuce cups for lunch at work.

For serving, I like a handful of toasted seeds scattered over the top for crunch, or a warm slice of whole grain bread on the side if you want something more filling. If you are building a bigger spread, this pairs nicely with the Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Grapes and Almonds for a second crunchy dish, and the Sheet Pan Chicken and Quinoa Bowls make a sturdy meal-prep companion when you want something more filling.