Salads are an integral part of most meals. Fresh veggies and crisp greens provide balance to rich foods like mac and cheese, while creamy mayonnaise-based salads and slaws give great contrast to roasted and barbecued meats. Lunchtime calls out for some of your favorite salad recipes: potato salad, chicken salad, pasta salad, macaroni salad, egg salad - wouldn't your life be bleak without them? Consider learning to make your own salad dressings instead of defaulting to store-bought bottles - it's not only cheaper, but much more flavorful. Most, including basic vinaigrette, take only minutes to put together.

ingredients

1    pound   carrots, peeled and chopped (3 cups)
1    tablespoon   olive oil
1    6 ounce carton  plain Greek yogurt
2    tablespoons   lemon juice
1    tablespoon   snipped fresh thyme
1    tablespoon   water
1    tablespoon   harissa paste
1/2   teaspoon   kosher salt
2    cups   chopped cooked chicken
2      stalks celery, thinly sliced (1 cup)
1/4   cup   sliced almonds, toasted
1/4   cup   golden raisins
16    slices  wheat sandwich bread, toasted
8    leaves  butterhead lettuce
directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with foil. Add carrots to the prepared pan, drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Roast, uncovered, 20 minutes or until tender; set aside to cool.
In a large bowl stir together the yogurt, lemon juice, thyme, water, harissa paste, and salt. Add the carrots, chicken, celery, almonds, and raisins; stir to coat evenly.
Serve chicken salad mixture on toasted bread with lettuce.
NUTRITION INFORMATION

Per Serving: cal. (kcal) 291, Fat, total (g) 8, chol. (mg) 32, sat. fat (g) 2, carb. (g) 37, Monounsaturated fat (g) 3, Polyunsaturated fat (g) 2, Trans fatty acid (g) 0, fiber (g) 5, sugar (g) 10, pro. (g) 19, vit. A (IU) 9873.66, vit. C (mg) 7.09, Thiamin (mg) 0.31, Riboflavin (mg) 0.28, Niacin (mg) 6.96, Pyridoxine (Vit. B6) (mg) 0.33, Folate (µg) 66.94, Cobalamin (Vit. B12) (µg) 0.12, sodium (mg) 481, Potassium (mg) 466, calcium (mg) 130, iron (mg) 2.75, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet