I know you might be getting tired of curry around this blog since I’ve had two up in the last month but it’s with good reason.  Curries are delicious and a fairly simple meal and to be honest this recipe just has a curry flavor and isn’t technically a curry dish. 

This is also a really quick summer meal that I came up with on the fly.  It was another hot day where I didn’t want to turn on the oven and I had leftover chicken from a BBQ over the 4th of July weekend.  A few other odds and ends added in and this variation on a chicken salad was born. 

Now, I want to address something really quick.  Many people think that in order to be healthy you can’t use any store-bought ingredients.  You have to get fresh produce, fresh ingredients, and make everything yourself and that just isn’t true.  Without even realizing it, I’ve kind of been giving that impression here on the blog, especially with my DIY recipes.

Yes, making things from scratch is always a good way to be healthier but it isn’t the ONLY way.  Sure, I make a lot of things from scratch but they are simple things and I don’t mind making them from scratch.  That isn’t always possible for everyone and I don’t want my readers to feel bad if they can’t make their own mustard and buy the best they can from the store. 

That’s what eating healthy is about.  Finding a good balance between what you can do yourself and what you can find at your stores.  I often buy staples at the store that I could easily make myself because sometimes I just want it done now.  But I also make sure that if I can easily make it cheaper and healthier (like my own coconut milk that I make every week), I do that instead.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, onto the recipe!  Which uses some cooking shortcuts to get dinner on the table fast but doesn’t compromise health at all.  Could I have made my own curry paste?  Yes, but I didn’t have time to do that so I used some that came in a jar.  I’m not mad about it and my husband’s stomach surely isn’t either. 🙂

Chicken & Jicama Curry Salad 

• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
• 1 cup jicama, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 cup mayo (you can use my version here or whatever you have on hand)
• 2 tbsp red curry paste (this is the one I used)
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• romaine lettuce or rolls or even tortilla shells, to serve

1. If you haven’t cooked your chicken yet, do that while you get everything else together.  Shred it while it’s still warm and let it cool completely.
2.  Combine the mayo and red curry paste so you have a red curry mayo sauce.  Taste and add more curry paste if you want more of a punch.
3. Combine the chicken and jicama and then pour in the curry sauce.  Stir to combine everything.  Taste and add salt or pepper if needed.  Mix in the cilantro at the very end.

You can serve this in lettuce boats, on rolls, over kale, in taco shells, or just eat it plain.  You can also make this ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.  Perfect summer lunch or dinner!