Description
This Cranberry Chicken Salad is a delightful blend of tender chicken breast, sweet dried cranberries, crunchy celery, and toasted pine nuts, all tossed in a creamy mayonnaise dressing with a hint of mustard. It’s perfect for a light lunch or a tasty sandwich filling, offering a balance of sweet, savory, and nutty flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked chicken breast, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, sliced
- 1 – 2 green onions, sliced
- 3/4 cup sweetened, dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
Dressing
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder or 1 – 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prep the salad ingredients: Slice the celery stalk into thin pieces. Chop the green onions finely. Cut the cooked chicken breast into bite-sized pieces. Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Mix the chicken salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped chicken, celery slices, green onions, dried cranberries, and toasted pine nuts. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and dry mustard powder (or Dijon mustard), coarse salt, and black pepper until smooth. Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and stir thoroughly to ensure everything is evenly coated.
- Chill before serving: Cover the chicken salad and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Before serving, taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or pepper if needed.
Notes
- This easy cranberry chicken salad recipe combines sweet cranberries, crunchy celery, and nutty toasted pine nuts for a satisfying texture and flavor contrast.
- For a nut substitution, pecans or almonds can be used instead of pine nuts.
- Serve this salad on a croissant or your favorite bread for a delicious sandwich, or place it on apple slices for a low-carb alternative.
- To reduce calories, consider using light mayonnaise or Greek yogurt.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 1 cup)
- Calories: 405 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 384 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 19 g
- Trans Fat: 0.03 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 31 g
- Cholesterol: 87 mg
