This sweet & savory pasta salad marries tender chicken, crunchy celery, toasted almonds & dried cherries in a poppy seed dressing.
Dried Cherry Chicken Pasta Salad
This easy recipe for Dried Cherry Chicken Pasta Salad hits a number of green lights at my house. The hubby is a big pasta salad fan. I’m an even bigger rotisserie chicken fan. These succulent beauties can be used to make a number of quick meals!
We’ve enjoyed a pasta salad called Turkey & Dried Cherries at D’Amico & Sons a number of times. This recipe closely resembles that salad. There’s a touch of sweetness from the cherries, a bit of crunch from the celery and toasted almonds, tender chicken, hearty pasta and a light and flavorful poppy seed dressing. A tasty lunch or brunch option which can be made in advance. It’s also perfect for picnics, cook-outs or any type of gathering.
Other Side Dish Salads
Interested in other tasty side dish salads? Here are just a few great recipes on ItsThyme2Cook.
Dried Cherry Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 6 ounces bow tie pasta
- 1- 1/2 cup cooked chicken or turkey breast cut into bite-sized chunks
- 2 diced celery stalks
- 1/2 c. sweetened dried cherries
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds toasted
- 2 tbsp. snipped chives or 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion green part only
Dressing
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp. water
- 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
- 1 c. mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp. poppy seeds
- 1 tsp. Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare pasta according to package directions, drain, rinse with cold water and drain again.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the pasta, chicken, celery, cherries, almonds and chives or green onions and stir to mix well.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients until well blended.
- Pour dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine. Chill until ready to use.
Donna Willingham
I truly enjoyed this pasta salad. I think it is now one of my favorites!