Chicken Salad with Apples, Macaroni and Walnuts: A Delightful Treat
How to Make Chicken Salad with Apples and Walnuts
All you need is a knife, a cutting board, a bowl, and a spoon. The hardest part of the whole process is all the chopping! You can choose how coarse or fine to chop your add-ins. Larger chunks make the ingredients more identifiable, while smaller pieces blend the flavors more thoroughly.
How to Cook the Chicken
You’ll need about 4 cups of chopped chicken, usually obtained from 2 chicken breasts or 4 chicken thighs. Boneless and skinless chicken breasts are recommended for ease.
You can also use leftover chicken, especially if you’ve made a whole roast. Just remember that whatever seasoning/brine you used will be incorporated into your salad flavors too.
Seasoning the Chicken
If cooking chicken fresh for this recipe, keep the seasoning simple, as the salad will add plenty of flavors. A bit of salt, fresh ground black pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice are sufficient. Poppy seeds can also be added for an extra flavor that pairs well with apples, mayonnaise, and lemon.
- 2 Chicken Breasts
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 tsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Poppy Seeds
- Salt to taste
- Black Pepper to taste
- 1 Cucumber ((Peeled and Chopped))
- 1 Apple ((Peeled and Chopped))
- 3 tbsp fresh Parsley
- 1/4 cup Crushed Walnuts
- 1 Lemon ((juiced))
- 1 cup Boiled Macaroni
- 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
- 1 tsp dried Dill
- Salt to taste
- Fresh Cracked Black Pepper to taste
- If using leftover or pre-cooked chicken, skip this step.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Coat two chicken breasts with olive oil, salt, pepper, poppy seeds, and lemon juice.
- Cook for 25-35 minutes until done. Set aside to coo
- While the chicken cooks and cools, chop the cucumber and apple into bite-sized pieces. (For a finer salad, mince them. For identifiable components, chop roughly.)
- Mince the parsley. If the walnuts are whole, crush them into small pieces.
- Cook macaroni according to package instructions, then drain and cool.
- Slice the cooked chicken into bite-sized cubes.
- Place chicken, cucumber, apples, walnuts, macaroni, and parsley in a bowl. Add mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and dill. Stir thoroughly to mix and coat.
- Serve immediately or store in the fridge in an airtight container until ready to eat.
Which Apples to Use
Especially crisp apples are best for this recipe. Choose an apple variety you enjoy, such as tart Winesaps in the fall or Cortland, Lodi, or Braeburn apples in the summer.
How to Store Chicken Salad with Apples and Walnuts
Chicken salad will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for about 5 days. For picnics, use a mason jar or tightly-sealed Tupperware and store it next to the ice pack until ready to eat. Freezing chicken salad is not recommended.
What to Serve with Chicken Salad, Apples, and Walnuts
Serve chicken salad alone, or pair it with veggie-heavy salads like Watercress and Mandarin Orange Salad. For sandwiches, try a Chicken Salad Sandwich with a Three Bean Pasta Salad. In the fall, Chorizo and Cornbread Stuffed Apples and Brown Butter Butternut Squash Soup make perfect pairings.
Fun Facts & Figures
- Apples: There are over 7,500 varieties of apples grown worldwide! China is the largest producer, accounting for nearly 50% of global production.
- Walnuts: These nuts have been enjoyed since 7,000 B.C.! They are rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, making them a healthy addition to your salad.
- Chicken: Chicken is one of the most versatile and widely consumed proteins worldwide. The global poultry meat market was valued at $250 billion in 2020.
- Cucumbers: Cucumbers are about 95% water, making them incredibly hydrating. They originated in South Asia over 3,000 years ago.
- Macaroni: This pasta is believed to have been brought to Italy by Marco Polo from China. Today, it is enjoyed in countless dishes worldwide.
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