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Stunning plated serving of Pesto Chicken Salad, a chef-tested recipe by Chef Jorj Morgan.

Pesto Chicken Salad

Coastal Mains

Pesto Chicken Salad

Print Recipe
The Strategy:

This chicken salad forcefully rejects the bland, heavy deli-counter standard by introducing a bright, aggressively herbaceous pesto mayonnaise and the brilliant textural contrast of blanched broccoli florets. By folding vibrant fresh basil pesto and sharp lemon juice into the rich mayonnaise base, the dressing perfectly coats the chicken while remaining remarkably light on the palate. Serving this vibrantly green, deeply flavorful salad creates an instantly sophisticated, effortless lunch option that feels deliberately crafted rather than thrown together from leftovers.

Yields: serves 4 to 6 | Total Time: 30 minutes till it’s ready

Ingredients

  • 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into ½-inch cubes
  • 2 stalks broccoli, stem peeled and thinly sliced, cut into small florets, blanched
  • ¼ small red onion, peeled and finely diced
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons basil pesto
  • juice from 1 medium lemon, about 2 tablespoons
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
Overhead mise en place shot of ingredients aesthetically arranged: cubed roasted chicken breasts, bright green blanched broccoli florets, finely diced red onion, mayonnaise, a jar of vibrant green basil pesto, fresh lemons, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper around a heavy crystal mixing bowl on a marble prep board.

Instructions

  1. Place the chicken, broccoli, and onion into a bowl.
  2. Stir together the mayonnaise, pesto, and lemon juice in another bowl.
  3. Pour the sauce over the chicken salad ingredients and toss to coat.
  4. Season with salt and pepper.
Close-up action shot of a cook's hand using a silver serving spoon to fold a glossy, vibrant green pesto mayonnaise dressing over perfectly cubed roasted chicken, blanched broccoli florets, and diced red onions in a heavy crystal bowl.

Things to Note

✦ Leftovers: You can substitute with dark meat or any combo of chicken meat for this salad. I love leftover lemon chicken for this recipe.
✦ Make it Fresh: You can purchase prepared pesto, or you can make your own!
Homemade Pesto:
• 1 bunch fresh basil leaves, about 2 cups
• ¼ pound fresh spinach leaves, about 1 cup
• ½ cup pine nuts, toasted
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled, about 2 tablespoons
• 4 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated, about 1 cup
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon coarse pepper
• ½ cup olive oil

Place the basil, spinach, pine nuts, garlic, and Parmesan cheese into the bowl of a food processor (or blender). Pulse to emulsify. With the machine running, slowly pour in the olive oil to form a paste. Season with salt and pepper. You can keep pesto in an air tight container for several weeks in your fridge.

The Heart of the Table

A truly exceptional chicken salad is the hallmark of a thoughtfully stocked estate kitchen. Having a massive bowl of this vibrant green, pesto-laced salad chilling in the refrigerator offers your guests an immediate, luxurious comfort the moment they arrive, providing an effortless lunch that requires absolutely zero active cooking.

An elegant, warmly lit outdoor luncheon setting explicitly featuring a Party of 8 gathered around the table laughing, eating, and drinking icy Sauvignon Blanc in elegant long-stemmed glasses in a luxurious Palm Beach Estate dining patio with ocean views. A massive crystal bowl of vibrant green Chicken Salad anchors the effortlessly elegant coastal afternoon.

Neighborly Grace

  • THE PRESENTATION: Do not serve this casually in a plastic container. Mound the vibrant green chicken salad high in a massive, heavy crystal or stark white ceramic bowl. Serve alongside a massive platter of ultra-crisp, toasted sourdough crostini and deeply colored heirloom tomato slices for an impeccably refined luncheon.
  • THE POUR: The rich mayonnaise base and the bright, herbaceous punch of the fresh basil pesto require a wine with piercing acidity and grassy notes. A fiercely chilled, vibrant New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or an icy, mineral-driven Sancerre perfectly elevates the pesto while cutting right through the richness.
  • THE VIBE: Effortlessly elegant coastal afternoons. This is the meal you lay out on the kitchen island when friends are arriving off the beach, the French doors are thrown open, and the afternoon calls for a crisp, casually luxurious lunch.
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