The 1980s and 1990s had sun-dried tomatoes. The 2000s were crazy about cupcakes. Avocados in general, but especially when placed atop toast, seemed to dominate the 2010s. Now, I wonder, have we entered the pickle period?
There is an uptick in search interest for pickles every summer, but interest overall has increased in recent years. (It peaked in 2020, but I presume that is attributable to increased interest in all things DIY during the early months of the pandemic.)
Some are deeming it the “peak pickle era”, which is buttressed by social media. On Instagram, there are 2.5 million posts with #pickles. Over on TikTok, #pickles and #pickle have more than 420,000 and 316,000 posts globally, respectively, with each increasing more than 25% in the past six months, per the company. Even Pinterest predicted the colour of the summer would be dill green.
Speaking of which: “Dill is more than just a familiar herb with a fresh, soft taste that pleases nearly every palate,” gardening specialist Adrienne Cook wrote in The Post. “Its delicate aroma is reputed to soothe and relax, and certainly there is something about dill’s scent that taps into the human sense of comfort and tranquillity.” Dill pickles, then, embody a duality of being both bold and soothing.
Whether the pickle pandemonium is a fad or not, pickles are delicious – and my chicken salad celebrates them in all their bold, sour, crunchy glory.
It’s pretty straightforward, as far as chicken salads go, with cooked chicken and mayo as the base. For this pickle-powered version, I start with classic dill pickles as the main draw and throw in cucumbers for freshness and crunch (instead of more pickles, to keep the dish from becoming overwhelmingly mouth-puckering). Dill accentuates the flavour of the pickles.
It makes for an easy dinner or lunch to take to work or school. Put it in a sandwich or wrap, mix it with lettuce to live up to its salad moniker, or scoop it up with crackers or crudités. Just don’t forget to grab a bag of dill pickle potato chips to enjoy with it.
Dill enhances the pickle flavour in this chicken salad that’s full of zip and crunch. Photo / Rey Lopez, The Washington Post
Chicken Salad With Pickles and Dill
This chicken salad is packed with zip and crunch thanks to dill pickles and fresh cucumbers. Chopped fresh dill adds grassy notes and amplifies the flavour of the pickles.
Servings: 4 (makes about 4 cups)
Total time: 15 minutes
Substitutions: Cooked chicken >> ham, cooked tuna or shrimp, or hard-boiled eggs. Dill pickles >> your choice of pickles. Mayonnaise >> plain Greek or regular yogurt. Wholegrain mustard >> any other mustard.
Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup chopped cucumber
1 cup chopped dill pickles
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
Fine salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Sliced bread, tortillas, crackers or lettuce, for serving
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, stir together the chicken, cucumber, pickles, dill, mayonnaise and mustard until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve right away, with bread, tortillas, crackers or lettuce, or refrigerate until needed.
Nutritional information per serving (1 cup)*: 325 calories, 23g fat, 4g saturated fat, 2g carbohydrates, 660mg sodium, 76mg cholesterol, 25g protein, 1g fibre, 1g sugar.
*This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s advice.
Aaron Hutcherson is a writer and recipe developer for Post Food at The Washington Post.