Want to put a tasty spin on an old favorite? You need to try my Creamy Pomegranate Chicken Salad No Mayo recipe!

This healthy creamy chicken salad recipe was inspired by my Creamy Chicken and Bacon Salad. These side salad dishes serve well with any meat main serving like this Easy Air Fryer Recipe with Lamb Chops and Sausage.

Because I used mayonnaise and sour cream in our creamy chicken bacon salad, we wanted something without mayo. Trust me, I love mayonnaise! I grew up on dishes like Potato Salad.

My husband on the other hand, did not grow up with mayo, so although he ate the salad, must've been the bacon and creamy chicken 🙂 he asked for chicken salad, still creamy but without the mayo. Not even in the dressing. Tall order I tell you! OKAY.

So this salad recipe has chicken coated in a creamy cottage cheese a simple salad dressing which all sits over a bed of greens. A mix of tender broccoli, edamame beans and a fresh herb mix.

This is all topped off with toasted pistachios, peanuts and tart pomegranate seeds. A final drizzle of olive oil and fresh cracked black pepper!

Voila! Your no mayonnaise creamy chicken salad with a bed of fresh greens, pistachios and pomegranate arils.

creamy pomegranate chicken salad no mayo

Reasons You’ll Love This Creamy Chicken Salad

It Tastes Amazing!

I added a tiny bit of milk to thin out the cottage cheese and generously seasoned. Simple salt and black pepper.

Easy

It's one of the most convenient and easiest ways to pull a chicken salad together in a short amout of time and still get all the creamy flavors with a pop of freshess.

Versatile

Pack this chicken salad for lunches, any event or gathering and the flavors come together beatifully while it refrigerates. And you can use any chicken breast, homemade or rotisserie chicken.

Ingredients

You won't believe how easy it is to make!

Cooked Chicken breasts, cut into smaller pieces
Cottage cheese
Pomegranate seeds
Extra virgin olive oil
Garlic
Lemon
Salt and pepper
Milk or water

What Salad Greens to use in a Salad?

Use any of your favorite greens to create a bed for the chicken and cottage cheese salad.

In this recipe I used a packet salad mix from Woolies with baby spinach, rocket and watercress but there's other mixes with fresh basil, butter lettuce and more.

Broccoli: Broccoli florets are a great base to mix into the salad leafy greens. They're filling, healthy, add a nice crunch and broccoli is an excellent source of fiber.

How to Cook Broccoli

Stove-top broccoli: Add a minimum amount of water into the pan because from experience, it will get soggy if you add too much water. It doesnt need more than a couple tablespoons of water to steam.

Blanching broccoli: Cook it on the stove for 3 minutes just to remove the raw taste and then plunge it in ice to stop the cooking process which helps keep the pop of green color and the crispy texture.

You can a) add little salt to the boiling broccoli water and b) use a strainer to keep the florets together when doing the plunge. The plunge is a few minutes then drain and dry the broccoli.

Microwave broccoli: With very little water. A microwave bowl, add about 2-3 tablespoons of water, place the lid on and microwave on high for 3-4 minutes.

Go a little longer if you want your broccoli softer but be careful not to overcook it!

Once the 3-4 minutes is up, and you want it softer, use 30 second microwave blasts because even a full minute will overcook it.

The minute the broccoli is cooked, remove the lid and transfer it to a plate or it will overcook in the steam under the lid.

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Air fryer broccoli: A quick air fry on 8 to 10 minutes. Again depending how you like your broccoli you can increas a minute. Sometimes I find 8 minutes perfect!

Instructions

Please find the full recipe in the recipe card below.

Step 1:

Broccoli: Clean and cook the broccoli florets as per above instructions.

Leafy greens: Then rinse and dry the salad greens. Arrange the greens (including the broccoli) on a serving dish or platter. Add a few nuts and a few pomegrante.

Step 2:

Chicken: Add the chicken pieces to a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the dressing ingredients and mix.

If you find the combination a bit tight, add tablespoon or two of milk and mix again. Then add a little of the pomegranate arils. Combine, taste and adjust to your liking.

Now place spoonfulls of the chicken and cottage cheese mix over the greens.

Step 3:

Add the remaining nuts and pomegranate over the salad platter.

Finish with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and fresh black pepper.

Variations

Make this dish according to your taste:

Spice the chicken: While cooking, add chili pepper flakes, smoked paprika or chicken spice.
Creamy: For a creamy salad without mayo recipe, try topping it with guacamole or sliced avocado, crispy red onions (or green onions) or bacon pieces.
For extra crunch: You could add toasted breadcrumbs or croutons for crunch and to fill the salad out a bit more.

Storage

Keep this chicken salad in an airtight container in the fridge up to 2-3 days.

FAQs

Can Greek yogurt be used instead of cottage cheese?

Yes absolutely, thats the best part, being able to make this chicken salad work for you. Greek yogurt or any plain white yogurt will work.

The pomegranate will add a touch of natural sweetness but honey will also work if you find that you need it.

What to do when you don't have pomegranate seeds?

If you're short on pomegranate seeds, dried cranberries as used in this Creamy Chicken and Bacon Salad or fresh blueberries may be used in their place. They provide a comparable explosion of color and flavor.

Can this salad be made ahead?

The chicken salad may be mixed and prepared up to 24 hours before serving. To maintain the quality of the ingredients, add any fresh greens when serving.

More Fresh Salad Recipe Ideas

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Creamy Pomegranate Chicken Salad with No Mayo