Lazarus Chicken Salad

Now that the weather is starting to warm up I have been thinking about cool and refreshing foods.  One of my absolute favorite foods to eat during warmer weather is Chicken Salad.  This Lazarus chicken salad is at the top of my chicken salad list.

As a young girl I used to love to go shopping at Lazarus Department Store.  No trip to Lazarus was complete without visiting the Café.  We would always arrange our shopping trips to where we could eat lunch there.  I don’t know what it was about that place, but I just loved it.  I always felt “fancy” when we would eat there.  They had a salad bar with very fresh items such as steamed shrimp, caviar, lettuce and a variety of prepared salads.  They always had this chicken salad on the bar and that’s what I would get every time. 

This Lazarus Chicken salad is really quick to put together, especially if you already have cooked chicken.  When I’m making chicken salad I *try* to cook my chicken a day ahead of time.  I like the chicken to be chilled before I dress it.  It does not have to be, that’s just my personal preference.  After you dice up some celery, you just blend the mayo, Worcestershire, lemon juice and seasonings and simply pour it over the chicken.

What I think sets this chicken salad apart from others is the zip that the Worcestershire, lemon juice and tarragon give it.  It really has a distinct taste that you don’t find in other chicken salad.  You could always add fruit and nuts to it if you like, but the basic recipe is delicious on its own.   I occasionally will add grapes if I’m craving that little bit of sweetness.

Try this Lazarus Chicken Salad the next time you have a chicken salad craving.  It’s perfect on a croissant but also looks beautiful served on a bed of lettuce.  However you decide to serve it, I think you will love it!