1Whole Chicken BreastCooked, Cooled, and Cut in ½” Cubes, about 2 Cups
1CupChopped Celery
⅓CupThinly Sliced Green Onion
1CupUnsalted Roasted Whole Cashews
2CupsHalved Seedless Red Grapes
Instructions
Rinse the wild rice with cold water in a colander or strainer.
1 Cup Wild Rice
In a small saucepan bring to a boil the chicken broth, water, wild rice. Reduce to a very slow simmer and cook for 45 minutes or until wild rice is tender, fluffy, and the kernels have begun to pop open. Drain if necessary and allow to cool.
2 Cups Chicken Broth, 1 Cup Water
In a small mixing bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, fine sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
1 Cup Mayonnaise, 1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice, ½ Teaspoon Salt, ½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
In a large mixing bowl add 2 cups of the cooked wild rice, the cubed chicken, chopped celery, and sliced green onions, cashews, and halved red grapes.
1 Whole Chicken Breast, 1 Cup Chopped Celery, ⅓ Cup Thinly Sliced Green Onion, 1 Cup Unsalted Roasted Whole Cashews, 2 Cups Halved Seedless Red Grapes
Add the salad dressing and gently fold to combine.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
My Top Tips♡ For the best texture, fold in the whole cashews and halved grapes just before serving. This keeps the nuts crunchy and the grapes looking their best.♡ The volume of cooked wild rice can vary depending on the water content of the wild rice, so you most likely will have some leftover wild rice.♡ Make savory pancakes with any leftover wild rice by adding it to your favorite pancake batter along with some thinly sliced green onions. Serve the pancakes with savory brown gravy.♡ Mayonnaise-based salads like this Wild Rice and Chicken Salad pair well with many wines. My favorite pairings are fruit-forward Bordeaux-style red wines, buttery California Chardonnays, and crisp Rosé wines.Substitutions and VariationsSubstitute Pecans or Almonds. Chopped pecans and sliced or slivered almonds can be substituted for the cashews.Substitute Dried Cranberries or Golden Raisins. If grapes are not available dried cranberries or golden raisins can be substituted. Be sure to plump any dried fruit before adding it to the salad.How to plump dried fruit: Place dried fruit in a small 3-cup bowl. Add an equal amount of boiling water. Allow the fruit to steep until plumped, usually about 15 minutes. Drain the fruit well before adding it to the salad.Make-Aheadand StorageThis chicken salad can be made the day before serving. Prepare as usual but hold back adding the cashews and halved grapes. Fold them in when you are ready to serve the salad for the freshest taste and crunch.Alternatively, you can prepare all of the ingredients plus the salad dressing a day or two before serving and then combine everything just hours before your meal.Always refrigerate this salad. This chicken salad can be stored for up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a covered container.How to ServeThis salad can be served in many ways…
Lettuce wraps using butter lettuce or for a crispier texture served on Romaine lettuce.
Open face on pita bread or tortillas.
Plated on a bed of greens.
In a bowl and served family-style.
As a sandwich on your favorite bread or croissant for a Napa Valley-style sandwich.