Chicken Salad With Walnuts and Grapes Recipe

Chicken Salad With Walnuts and Grapes
Diana Rattray
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings

This chicken salad is the perfect dish for a special luncheon or warm summer evening meal. The chicken salad is especially appetizing served on lettuce leaves with sliced avocado, or fill sandwich rolls with the mixture. The walnuts and grapes give the salad flavor and some pleasant crunch. Serve it on a bed of spring greens or romaine salad ​leaves.

I love the sliced grapes in the salad, but feel free to leave them out if you don't care for fruit in a chicken salad. Or use seedless red grapes or pineapple chunks in the salad.

Related Recipe: Chicken Salad Sandwich Spread With Herbs

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted

  • 2 cups diced cooked chicken

  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise

  • 2 tablespoons sour cream

  • 1 cup green grapes, sliced

  • 3 green onions, with some green, thinly sliced

  • 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 dash freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

  • 1 teaspoon honey, or to taste

  • Salad greens, optional

  • Shredded radicchio, optional

  • Sliced avocado, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Place a dry skillet over medium heat and add the 1/2 cup of walnut pieces.

  2. Cook, stirring and turning constantly, until the walnuts are aromatic and lightly browned.

  3. Transfer them to a plate to cool.

  4. Combine the diced cooked chicken with 1/3 cup mayonnaise, the sour cream, sliced grapes, sliced green onions, sliced celery, walnuts, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

  5. Stir in the honey and more mayonnaise, if needed.

  6. Serve the chicken salad mixture on salad greens and raddiccio, if desired, or serve on a bed of mixed greens.

  7. Garnish with sliced avocado or tomato wedges. For sandwiches, line sandwich rolls with lettuce leaves and fill with chicken salad.

Serves 4 to 6.

*To cook chicken for this salad (or for sandwiches), place two boneless chicken breast halves in a medium saucepan. Cover the chicken with water and add a few chunks of peeled onion, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. If desired, add a sprig of thyme and a sprig or two of parsley. Bring the water to a boil. Cover the pan and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for about 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat but don't remove the cover. Let the chicken stand for about 12 to 15 minutes. The minimum safe temperature for chicken (USDA Food Safety Guidelines) is 165 F (74 C). Drain the chicken and let it cool until cool enough to handle and then dice for the salad. Cover and refrigerate if not using immediately.

Tips and Variations

  • Replace the green onions with about 1/4 cup of chopped red onions.
  • Use a spring mix of greens instead of the salad greens and radicchio.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
284 Calories
22g Fat
9g Carbs
12g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 284
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g 29%
Saturated Fat 4g 22%
Cholesterol 53mg 18%
Sodium 270mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 12g
Vitamin C 5mg 24%
Calcium 24mg 2%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 248mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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