Add This Canned Vegetable To Chicken Salad For More Fiber, Fullness, And Flavor

Chicken salad is often unplanned. Some folks can whip it up without having to consult a recipe, and it's such a great use of leftovers like rotisserie chicken, making mayo's BFF as quick as it is convenient. But if you've fallen into a chicken salad routine that's become a little beige and boring, there's a common pantry staple that can breathe new life into the deli classic: canned peas.

At first blush, canned peas will add some much needed color to what's otherwise a pretty pale dish. They'll also add a tender bite to an otherwise dense chicken salad, expanding the mix without weighing it down. They're also more nutritionally valuable than some other potential mix-ins, with around 6 grams of fiber per cup, which is about as much as you'll want to use per cup of cubed chicken. And, most importantly, the peas' sweetness and tender texture will also improve your salad's flavor and consistency. You just have to know how to use them, and what other ingredients will make them sing.

The first (and kind of only) thing you need to do before adding peas to chicken salad is to rinse and dry them. A run under the tap will wash away any excess salt and unappetizing canning liquid. You can transfer the peas to a colander or even just swish some water around the can and tip it out a few times. Either way, spread them out to dry on some paper towels so that the extra moisture doesn't dilute the salad's mayo and make it watery. You'll also want to add the peas as late as possible. They'll already be soft; too much mixing could make them mushy.

A little lemon zest will brighten up the salad, while a spritz of lemon juice can help balance out the sweetness of the peas. Chicken salad with peas will also be lovely with fresh, citrusy dill, tarragon, or parsley. Pesto is another flavorful chicken salad addition that makes oodles of verdant sense in this case, as the basil, garlic, and oil provide a pleasant pairing with the peas. Other than a possible sugary overload with something like raisins, you can continue dressing up your canned pea-enhanced chicken salad to taste more or less any old way.