Add Color To Bland Chicken Salad With A Popular Indian Condiment

Chicken salad is a stalwart of American lunchtime. A sandwich classic, it joins the usual suspects of turkey, ham, and cheese around lunchtime. Occasionally, the bread and tomato treatment is skipped and it's served scooped onto a bed of lettuce, lending credibility to its role as a salad. Chicken salad is tasty and filling, don't get us wrong, but at times it can feel a bit dated and dull. It doesn't have to be that way.

The truth is it's really easy to dress up your chicken salad–with both a flavor boost and a pop of color. The secret ingredient for this fancier version of chicken salad is simple: chutney. Long appreciated as a condiment to go alongside samosas and vindaloo, this culinary star offers so much more for the palate and your menu. It boasts a lot of flavor and adds moisture so you don't need to depend on so much mayonnaise, resulting in a sandwich that feels light and vibrant.

Chicken salad's biggest flaw is that it can be too bland. Chutney is the answer to all of its dullness dilemmas because it offers flavor and an opportunity for color. It spans a broad range of flavors, too, so there's something for every palate — it's just a matter of finding your favorite.

The first choice that might come to mind is the classic mango chutney–bursting with bright orange-gold color and even brighter fruit notes, it's a natural introduction to the chutney and chicken salad combo. The sweetness cuts some of the heaviness from the mayo, and it looks pretty on the plate.

Mango may be the classic choice, but there are many to explore. Tomato chutney is a great choice too — it brings color and acidity without too much sweetness. Green chutney (made with cilantro and chili peppers) has a smooth texture and mixes easily throughout for a chicken salad with some color and a little kick.

Chicken salad is best dressed when there's a balance of acid and fat along with little pops of flavor throughout. Chutney is one way of exploring that, but it's not the only way. Chicken salad lends itself to a good mix-in and you can tailor them to what you're craving. For Bon Appétit, Molly Baz ponders what makes a good chicken salad and writes, "There's no shortage of possibilities when it comes to flavor .... Olives, capers, pickles, horseradish, pesto, chili oil, tender herbs, and citrus zest all make excellent additions."

In the mood for mild flavor with some color? Diced roasted red peppers are a great choice. Fresh herbs and pesto are a surefire path to a dish that is exploding with fresh garden flavors. Dried cherries and cranberries are a great choice for fruit-forward taste and texture. Pickled carrots, capers, or some tapenade will bring a bit of brine to your final plate. Whether you decide to try chutney in your next batch of chicken salad, or take it a different route with some mix-ins, there's no reason for your salad to be bland.