This quick Chicken Salad recipe is the perfect make-ahead lunch for a healthy meal

Even if summer is finally winding down, I’m not quite ready to let go of the meals that got me through the heat. I’m plenty excited for chicken and dumplings, flavorful pastas and soups all season long, but the ease of make-ahead summer lunches was a time-saver that I want to bring with me into autumn.

Plump peaches and ripe heirloom tomatoes both pair beautifully with this recipe for chicken salad, which became a go-to meal in my house this summer. It’s easy to prepare before the workday, only takes a few ingredients and makes for a bright, crunchy mix that’s perfect on a warm croissant with some farmer’s market lettuce.

Canned chicken: The unsung hero of quick lunch recipes

This chicken salad uses canned chicken, mixed with just a little bit of mayonnaise, honey mustard, and tossed with celery and scallions for a vibrant pop of color and a nice crunch that lasts until leftovers the next day.

While I would normally be an advocate for poaching your own chicken breasts for this recipe, the canned chicken was a huge time-saver, especially during the months that I’d barely want to touch the stove or the oven. You should strain your can so your chicken salad doesn’t turn into a soupy mess.

Using canned chicken also allowed me to make this early in the morning to be ready by lunchtime. It’s perfectly fine to eat this immediately, but like a lot of picnic salads such as potato salad or pasta salad, this really improves after a couple hours in the refrigerator.