Asparagus Chicken Salad with Toasted Almonds

We're getting into the summer spirit with all these nice days we've been having lately. This asparagus, chicken salad is nice and light and makes a perfect summer dish. Luckily, asparagus has been on sale at the grocery store - it can be expensive if it's not! (Whole would've thought asparagus, of all things, could be pricey?!). Hopefully one day we can make our own garden and start growing some of these things. Of course, I'm not even sure asparagus would grow well in N.C. . . Anyways, this recipe idea came from Cooking Light. Normally, we would've substituted cilantro for the parsley b/c we love it so much, but it was pretty wilted at the grocery store. Use whatever you'd like for the chicken - we actually cooked some breasts on the grill b/c Michael loves grilling anytime he can. We also served the salad over spinach. The curry powder adds a nice twist and the toasted almonds add a great crunchy finish to it.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups (1-inch) diagonally cut asparagus
• 1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
• 1 chopped red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

Directions

1. Steam the asparagus, covered, 3-4 minutes or until crisp-tender.
2. Combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, curry, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
3. Add the asparagus, chicken, bell pepper, parsley, and almonds; toss to coat.