Fabulous and Easy Potato, Chicken, and Fresh Pea Salad

A couple days ago, I picked up a copy of the April edition of Cooking Light at the grocery store. I used to read Cooking Light a lot when I was in high school but I stopped subscribing when I went to college and never really got back into it. As I flipped through the pages, I immediately felt at home and began to remember just why I liked it so much in the first place. I love their collections of fairly simple, healthy recipes that feature fresh produce. This month's magazine even has a section of recipes featuring goat cheese, which is one of my favorite things! I think I might have to renew my subscription!

One of the recipes that caught my eye was the "Potato, Chicken, and Fresh Pea Salad." I have been feeling like making a potato salad for for a week or so now, but the idea of all that mayonnaise had kept me from starting. This recipe seemed like a great solution. I made it for lunch today and it was everything I'd hoped for and more!

It features rotisserie chicken which was all ready and waiting for me at the grocery store and a tarragon, lemon, dijon mustard vinaigrette which is the perfect finishing touch. Woodley and his friend Steven (who were working from our house today) both loved it and even had seconds!

Potato, Chicken, and Fresh Pea Salad

From Cooking Light, April 2009, page 92

1 pound fingerling potatoes, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces

2 cups fresh sugar snap peas

2 cups chopped skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast {I used leg meat in addition to the breast meat}

1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion {I used about half this since we don't really care for red onion}

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon 

1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 garlic clove, minced 

{I was happy to find fingerling potatoes at the grocery store. In the past, I haven't been able to find them, but I think little red skinned onions would work just as well.}

{The potatoes had a fun coloring on the inside. I thought they kind of looked like little people running around in the potatoes.}

1. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until almost tender. Add peas; cook 2 minutes or until peas are crisp-tender. Drain; place vegetables in a large bowl. 

{I completely forgot to add the peas before draining the potatoes. Oops! When I realized my mistake, I filled up another pan with hot water and quickly heated it to a boil and cooked the peas separately. It worked just fine. Since I wanted to have a cold salad for lunch (it was really hot in the kitchen because I was baking bread), I ran the potatoes and peas under cold water to chill them before adding them to the other vegetables.}

Add the chicken, bell pepper, and onion. 

{Yum! Rotisserie chicken! If I had had left over chicken from making stock I would have used that, but this was a very easy way to go and was only about $3 more expensive than buying an uncooked chicken}

2. Combine oil and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk. 

Drizzle over salad; toss gently to combine. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups)

{Yum! The combination of sugar snap peas, potatoes, and chicken is a great one. It is filling enough to be a main course but is light enough for a hot spring/summer day and only takes about an hour or so to put together. The dressing is divine! I will definitely be making this one again! Probably all spring and summer, every spring summer from now on!} 

~ElizabethRose