Chicken Salad With Nectarines and Goat Cheese

By Ali Slagle

Updated May 6, 2024

Chicken Salad With Nectarines and Goat Cheese
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Total Time
15 minutes
Rating
4(697)
Comments
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Crunchy and creamy, sweet and tangy, this main dish salad is a new take on the goat cheese, spinach and fruit salads of the 1980s. Lemon-kissed nectarines and shallots are tossed with chicken, pita chips and greens. A mature green like spinach adds heft, but any salad green works. Goat cheese cream hidden beneath the salad is a delightful surprise; you get a bit of the tangy cream every few bites. Make it vegetarian by nixing the chicken and adding white beans to the nectarines in Step 1. Embellish freely with thinly sliced beets, sunflower seeds, sliced jalapeños or soft herbs, or swap in another stone fruit like apricots or cherries.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 1½ to 2pounds ripe but firm nectarines, pitted and sliced (4 to 6 nectarines)
  • 1large shallot, thinly sliced
  • 6tablespoons lemon juice, plus more to taste (from 2 lemons)
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1cup buttermilk, plus more as needed
  • 8ounces goat cheese, preferably herbed, at room temperature
  • 1tablespoon lemon zest
  • 3 to 4cups shredded cooked chicken (from about 1 rotisserie chicken)
  • 1 to 2cups lightly crushed pita chips
  • ¼cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to taste
  • 8 to 10ounces salad greens, such as mature spinach, arugula or watercress
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

454 calories; 24 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 30 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 15 grams sugars; 33 grams protein; 900 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl, stir together the nectarines, shallot and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, mash together the buttermilk, goat cheese and lemon zest. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and thin with more buttermilk until it’s the consistency of a dip. (Both mixtures can be made up to an hour ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before eating.)

  2. Step 2

    When you’re ready to eat, add the chicken, pita chips and olive oil to the nectarines, and stir to combine. Add the greens, season them with salt and pepper, and stir once more. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, lemon juice and oil until flavors are bright and punchy.

  3. Step 3

    Spread the goat cheese cream on plates, then top with the salad (or dot the salad with the goat cheese cream). Serve immediately.

Ratings

4 out of 5
697 user ratings
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Comments

JMR

Would mixing goat cheese with Greek Yoghurt or Sour Cream work. I can't stand Buttermilk...

Sue

Plain regular (not Greek) yogurt or kefir would be your best bet, if you'd like to achieve a similarly soft dip-like texture.

Ethel

I used non-fat Greek yogurt and thinned it out with skimmed milk - it was perfect. I poached sliced chicken breasts for just a few minutes and then shredded them. This was a hit!

Saje

Since I didn’t have milk to thin the cheese mixture, I used ranch dressing. Worked!

Margaret

Very good and decidedly pretty (our guests took pictures before eating). I used Greek yogurt and cream and wished it had something more... it felt lacking. Maybe I should have gone and gotten buttermilk! That said, everyone exclaimed about it. Used a rotisserie chicken (won't make that mistake again - waaay too dry. So easy to poach some chicken breasts), perfect summer peaches, and almonds vs pita chips.

Katyann

Had 1.5 cups of buttermilk left from another recipe so I used 10oz of goat cheese and the dip is more like a dressing. Made a massive amount. Bungled this recipe with that choice but it all does taste very good.

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