Try this twist on chicken-salad-meets-Waldorf-Salad! The little bit of curry adds sweet and savory flavor, and the touch of earthy turmeric in the dressing wraps everything in a golden-yellow hue.
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The first time I ever tried a Curried Chicken Waldorf Salad recipe was at The Walnut Room inside the original Marshall Fields department store on State Street in Chicago, and I was hooked. And it's so simple to make, I recreated it and developed my own curried chicken Waldorf salad. The little bit of curry adds sweet and savory flavor, and the touch of earthy turmeric in the dressing wraps everything in a golden-yellow hue.
If you've ever made Waldorf salad, you know how easy it is. But add chicken and a touch of Indian spices, and the traditional Waldorf salad is promoted to a whole new level of flavor!
History of Waldorf Salad
Invented in 1896, classic Waldorf salad is named for the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. Only apples, celery and mayonnaise were the original ingredients.. Nuts were added later, as were other ingredients.
Beyond the two classic recipes
This recipe combines the best of both worlds using the chicken salad recipe and the classic Waldorf Salad recipe. Then it expands on them by adding curry and and hint of turmeric. You might even say it combines a curry chicken salad recipe with Waldorf salad.
Can you add grapes to this salad?
Yes, you sure can. While it's not original to the original recipe for Waldorf Salad, grapes are a very common add-in, and they would taste great in this Curried Chicken Waldorf Salad. I opted to add raisins instead, because I think they add a nice sweet note to the salad. I didn't add grapes because I feel it already has plenty of ingredients.
Tips for making Curried Chicken Waldorf Salad
My only suggestion: Prep the apples last and immediately toss them in the chicken and dressing mixture. This will prevent unnecessary browning. Alternatively, you can mist them with lemon juice to prevent browning.
Hungry for more salad recipes?
If you enjoyed this Curried Chicken Waldorf Salad recipe, you may also enjoy trying this Classic Pea Salad from a 1950's recipes that's been updated for the 21st century. Another favorite is the Costa Rica Tuna and Pasta Shells Salad, for a taste of Latin America.
A fan favorite recipe here at The Unfussy Cook is Grilled Shrimp with Old Bay seasoning - give it a whirl, I just know you're going to love it!
📖 Recipe
Curry Chicken Waldorf Salad
Ingredients
The Dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
The Salad
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
- ½ cup chopped walnuts toasted
- ½ cup thinly-sliced celery
- ⅔ cup raisins regular dark, golden, or a mix
- 1½ cups chopped Red Delicious apple peel on, cored and cut into ½-inch bites
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, orange juice, curry, turmeric and salt until smooth.
- In a saucepan, cover the chicken with water and cook over medium heat until the chicken is done throughout, about 165-170° internal temperature. Remove from the water and cool it in the refrigerator.
- Once the chicken has cooled, remove all visible fat, then cut the chicken into ½-inch or so pieces. Place in a medium-large mixing bowl, add the dressing and toss until the chicken is well coated.
- Toast the walnuts in a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes, flipping frequently so they don't burn. Set them aside to cool just a bit.
- Prep the celery and set aside.
- Leaving the skin on the apples for color, cut them into ½-inch or so pieces. Immediately add them to the chicken and toss until they coated in dressing, to prevent browning.
- Now add the walnuts, raisings and celery, toss again to coat everything, and chill the salad for at least an hour. The longer the salad sets, the more the dressing will bloom and flavor the chicken and veggies.
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