Cashew Chicken Pasta Salad
A unique combination of red and green grapes, rotini pasta, tender chicken, cashews and a simple dressing makes a refreshing salad recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe For Cashew Chicken Salad With Grapes
We love cashews as a snack and in our Chocolate Covered Cashews recipe. This creamy pasta salad creates a great reason to incorporate them into our meal!
A friend from the YMCA work out class shared one of her family’s favorite recipes. Cashew Chicken Salad with Grapes is a great way to change up the menu with diverse flavors that work surprisingly well.
What I Love:
- Perfect for hot summer days, this cold chicken pasta salad is refreshing.
- Great to make ahead and have ready to enjoy after a long pool day when you’re really hungry.
- The dressing lightly coats the ingredients in a pleasant way.
- Uniquely delicious and stands out from the other typical pasta salads you enjoy like our Pasta Salad with Pepperoni or our Pasta Salad for a Crowd.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Pasta – We like rotini pasta, but bowtie works well too. Use 3/4 of the box or 12 ounces in this recipe.
- Chicken – Tender breasts cut into cubes. We like to freeze any leftover pieces of Juicy Chicken Breast that we eat on salad throughout the week.
- Cashews – We prefer lightly salted cashews. Halves and pieces are a budget-friendly option with the same great flavor and texture.
- Fruit – Choose, plump, evenly sized red and green grapes. A can of well drained pineapple tidbits (avoid crushed, chop rings up to get evenly sized smaller pieces if needed). Dried cranberries, make sure they are juicy.
- Veggies – Sliced green onions and celery.
- Dressing – Ranch dressing (we like Hidden Valley) and mayonnaise.
How to Make Cashew Chicken Salad with Grapes
Wash produce, dry and chop. Drain the pineapple juice and reserve to dip fruit and use with another recipe like our Creamy Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip.
The grapes work best cut in half. We like to cut each stalk of celery in half lengthwise and then make thin slices. Thinly slice the green onions.
Cook, slice and cube the chicken. Add to a large mixing bowl and stir well.
Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Run under cold water to stop the cooking and drain well.
Stir into the chicken mixture and then add ranch dressing and mayonnaise. Stir well.
Cover and refrigerate until chilled through.
Stir in cashews just before serving. Save a few to sprinkle on top.
Jennifer’s Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Avoid overcooking and ensure it is super tender to make the highest quality chicken.
- Garnish this Hawaiian chicken pasta salad with fresh edible flowers or a few fancy slices of tropical fruit to make a fun themed dish.
- Cook the pasta until just tender, drain immediately and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Stir in dressing shortly to prevent the spiral pasta from sticking together.
- If serving at a picnic serve in a metal bowl that is sitting in a pan of ice to keep safe. Also consider using a fly cover for food safety.
Cashew Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups cubed chicken cooked
- 12 ounces rotini pasta
- 20 ounce can pineapple tidbits
- 1 1/2 cups celery sliced
- 3/4 cup green onions thinly sliced
- 1 cup green grapes cut in half
- 1 cup red grapes cut in half
- 12 ounces dried cranberries
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 cups salted cashews
Instructions
- Cook pasta to tender according to the directions on the package. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking.12 ounces rotini pasta
- In a large bowl combine chicken, drained pineapple, celery, green onions, green grapes, red grapes, and cranberries.4 cups cubed chicken, 20 ounce can pineapple tidbits, 1 1/2 cups celery , 3/4 cup green onions, 1 cup green grapes, 1 cup red grapes, 12 ounces dried cranberries
- Add pasta and stir well.
- Add ranch dressing and mayo to the bowl and stir well. Cover and chill for at least one hour.1 cup ranch dressing, 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- Stir in cashews just before serving. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.2 cups salted cashews
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