Low-Carb Chicken Salad with Basil and Parmesan

This Low-Carb Chicken Salad with Basil and Parmesan is one of the first salads I think about when basil plants are showing up in the stores! Use the Diet-Type Index to find more low-carb recipes like this one.

Click here to PIN Low-Carb Chicken Salad with Basil and Parmesan!

This Low-Carb Chicken Salad with Basil and Parmesan is something you should make as soon as you see those basil plants showing up in the grocery store, and then keep making it all summer, and through the years I’ve learned you just can’t put too much chopped basil in this salad. I’m a huge fan of fresh basil, and I’ve been growing basil in my garden and freezing the fresh basil for many years now! So of course I’m excited that basil season has started this year, and I want to remind you about this basil-loaded chicken salad recipe that’s one of my summer favorites.

And yes, I used the word SUMMER! Are you as excited as I am that summer is almost here? I love all the foods of summer so much and even though my new garden spot is much smaller than the garden I used to have, I still love growing a few vegetables and lots of fresh herbs to use in summer cooking.

Last week I planted Brandywine tomatoes, Black Krim tomatoes, Cherokee Purple tomatoes, Celebrity tomatoes, Early Girl tomatoes, red bell peppers, Poblano peppers, cucumbers, and basil, and I have lots of perennial herbs growing in the two herb patches by my front sidewalk and next to the garage! So I think I’m on the way to lots of summer cooking at my house.

I’ll definitely pick up a few more basil plants to grow in the kitchen window again this year. (You can never have too much fresh basil, right?)  But if you’re not growing basil and have to buy it in the grocery store you can certainly get away with using less in this recipe. But please try it if you’re a fan of these flavors. I could eat this over and over all summer long!

You can make the salad with leftover rotisserie chicken, but if you’re starting from scratch, trim the chicken breasts and cut into thirds lengthwise. I used a mixture of canned chicken broth and water to cook the chicken, combined with 2 teaspoons of Italian Herb Blend. (You could use poultry seasoning if you don’t have the Italian blend.) When the liquid comes to a boil, add the chicken and cook at the barest simmer until it’s cooked through, about 15 minutes. Drain the chicken into a colander and let it drain very well. Then cut the chicken into cubes about 3/4 inch square.

I used Herb Scissors to cut the basil into thin strips. If you’re using basil from the garden, give it a wash in a Mini Salad and Herb Spinner. The dressing is flavored with the fresh basil, chopped green onions, and a few tablespoons of freshly-grated Parmesan. Whisk together the mayo and buttermilk so it’s smooth; then stir in the basil strips, chopped green onion, and Parmesan. Gently stir the dressing into the cubes of chicken, season to taste with salt and fresh-ground black pepper, and serve.

This Low-Carb Chicken Salad with Basil and Parmesan can also be chilled for a few hours before serving; enjoy!

More Recipes for Chicken Salad:

Chicken Salad with Fresh Tarragon and Peas ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
Hummus Chicken Salad ~ Aggie’s Kitchen
Leftover Chicken Salad with Mustard, Hearts of Palm, and Olives ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
Whole 30 Bacon Avocado Chicken Salad ~ Wonky Wonderful
Shredded Chicken Salad with Green Olives, Celery, and Green Onion ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
Tarragon Chicken Salad ~ She Wears Many Hats

Print Recipe

Low-Carb Chicken Salad with Basil and Parmesan

Yield: 6 servings

Total Time: 30 minutes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

I love growing basil in the summer, and this Low-Carb Chicken Salad with Basil and Parmesan is something I’d never get tired of.

Ingredients:

Ingredients for Cooking Chicken:

• 1 can (14 oz.) low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cans water
• 2 tsp. Italian Herb Blend (or Poultry Seasoning will work too)
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Ingredients:

• 4 cups diced cooked chicken, cut in 3/4 inch pieces (If you’re cooking the chicken for this recipe, use 4 chicken breasts to get 4 cups diced chicken.  See below for cooking instructions.)
• 3/4 cup mayo
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup sliced green onion (or more)
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh basil leaves (or more)
• 3 T. grated Parmesan, Asiago, or Romano cheese
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. If you’re cooking chicken for this, trim visible fat from 4 chicken breasts, then cut the chicken lengthwise into thirds.  Put the can of chicken stock, 2 cans of water, and the Italian Herb Blend into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.  When it boils add chicken breasts, turn heat to low, and  let simmer 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.  Drain the chicken into a colander placed in the sink and let it cool.
2. While the chicken cools, slice the basil leaves or cut with Herb Scissors and wash if needed, chop green onions, and measure the freshly-grated Parmesan.
3. When chicken is cool, dice it into pieces about 3/4 inch square and place into medium-sized bowl.
4. Combine mayo and buttermilk, whisking until it’s smooth.  Then stir in green onion, Parmesan, and basil.
5. Add dressing to the chicken in the bowl and gently mix until chicken is well coated with dressing. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
6. This can be served immediately or chilled slightly before serving.  This will keep in the fridge for about a day, but it’s best freshly made.

This recipe adapted by Kalyn from one that appeared on the Best Foods site.

All images and text ©Kalyn Denny for Kalyn's Kitchen.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Low-Carb Chicken Salad with Basil and Parmesan is great for any low-carb or low-glycemic diet plan and any phase of the South Beach Diet. South Beach would probably recommend you use light mayo and use portion control due to the amount of fat; other low-carb diets would prefer full-fat mayo.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You can also Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Nutritional Information?
If you want nutritional information for a recipe, you can sign up for a free membership with Yummly and use the Yum button on my site to save the recipe and see the nutritional information. Another option is entering the recipe into Nutrition Analyzer, which will calculate it for you.