The season for picnics and summer soirées is officially here and so is the intense heat. Warmer weather makes me crave delicious, chilled, and refreshing foods like my Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad Recipe. It’s perfect to eat on its own, accompanied by crackers, or on a buttery croissant.
The Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad Recipe is not only perfect for your next picnic or party, but it is also a great make-ahead meal. Even the most discerning palate falls in love with this crisp-savory-sweet chicken salad.
Let’s get to the Quick Summer Salad Idea!
Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad
Quick Summer Salad: Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless chicken thighs
- 6 cups water
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 8 oz dried cranberries
- 2 large navel oranges
- 3 celery ribs
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- ¾ cup Miracle Whip
Instructions
- On medium-high heat, boil 2 pounds of boneless chicken thighs with 6 cups of waters and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt for 30 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from broth, let cool, and set aside.
- While chicken cooks and cools, rehydrate dried cranberries. Place 8 oz of cranberries into a small bowl. Using a citrus juicer, squeeze juice from 2 large navel oranges into bowl. Cover bowl with Saran Wrap and refrigerate.
- Clean and rinse three celery ribs. Slice and chop celery into ¼ inch bite size pieces. Set aside in a small bowl.
- Place small sauce pan on medium heat. Add ½ cup of sliced almonds to toast for approximately 5 minutes, or until almonds are fragrant and slightly toasted. Once toasted, set aside.
- Once chicken has fully cooled, chop chicken into ½ inch pieces. Add chicken into a large bowl.
- Remove cranberries from refrigerator. Use the strainer to remove the orange juice from the cranberries. Discard the juice and add the cranberries to the chopped chicken.
- Add chopped celery and toasted almonds to the chicken and cranberries.
- Add Miracle Whip to all ingredients and mix until well blended.
- Refrigerate the Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad, if you do not plan to eat immediately.
Tools Used For This Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad Recipe
1 strainer
Rehydrating cranberries with fresh-squeezed orange juice.
The rehydrated cranberries in this recipes makes this chicken salad quite special. The cranberries offer a juicy-sweet bite while the fresh celery offers a crisp and crunchy element.
I hope you enjoy this Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad recipe as much as I do. It’s one of my favorite summer salads and pairs well with my Agua Fresca de Melon. Click here for the recipe!
[…] to do with those Thanksgiving left overs? Easily substitute your turkey left overs to make my Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad. The salad makes a great lunch and is perfect when served with crackers or on […]