If you ever found yourself with some leftover rotisserie chicken and some canned peaches in your pantry, then today is your lucky day! You can make this delicious Chicken, Cashew and Peach Chicken Salad!
Jump to RecipeI’m not sure how many of you know, but I was fat as a kid.
Well, maybe not fat, but for sure excessively chubby.
Okay maybe not excessively chubby, but for sure really really “fluffy”.
God bless my mother who tried desperately to help me to lose weight. She did what she could with the information she had to help me get healthy. Too bad the information back then wasn’t all that great.
Instead of helping me deal with balance, she forbid me to have certain things (sugar, potatoes, pasta), but let me eat as much melba toast (uhhh hello empty carbs), and raisins (uhhh, hello sugar), and cookies for diabetics (not even sure what that was all about)…and lots and lots of salad.
The problem is, now I have an aversion to melba toast, carrot sticks, “fake” cookies (in today’s grocery stores, they would be gluten free and low fat) and plain salad.
I know what you’re thinking. Really Suzie? You have an aversion to plain salad? What’s up with that?
But I’m talking really plain salad. Like “lettuce and no dressing” plain. Like the kind of salad that starts off good once you add pizza and get rid of the salad…
Now do ya feel me?
So, creations like this super tasty, super fast/easy, and super healthy (lots of protein, no refined sugar, lower fat yogurt option) made their debut in my line up.
The chicken is a great protein option and the cashews are an additional hit of protein with a creamy texture that make it feel a bit luxurious.
What You’ll Need To Make This Cashew and Peach Chicken Salad:
- cooked chicken
- canned (or fresh) peaches
- cashews
- mayo/sour cream/yogurt
- poppy seeds
- honey
- green onions
- orange
This recipe asks for rotisserie chicken but any cooked chicken will work!!
Other Healthy Salads like Chicken, Cashew and Peach Chicken Salad:
What Are Other Options For Dressing?
If you have a great recipe for poppy seed dressing, then you can go ahead and use that. But, Renee’s is a good quality brand that you can get in most grocery stores
One More Tip To Make This an Exceptional Chicken, Cashew and Peach Chicken Salad (this one is wild!):
Now, all this healthy talk aside, if you want to add some crunch, take the skin off your chicken (after it’s been cooked), put it, crispy side down on a baking sheet and put it under the broiler to crisp up the inside. Now tuck it around the salad as an extra crunchy layer (see below) or crumble it and sprinkle all over the top of the salad.
Yes, that last tip is a bit caloric but you gotta live a little.
Some days I eat salad and go to the gym.
Other days I eat cupcakes and refuse to put my pants on.
It’s all about balance people…
The Easiest Chicken, Cashew and Peach Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1 store bought rotisserie chicken, shredded (or about 4 cups roasted chicken)
- 2 large ripe but firm peaches, diced (or one small can of peaches packed in water or real juice – or 2 snack cups)
- 3 green onions, minced can sub in chives
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 1 head leaf lettuce like romaine, bibb or red leaf, leaves washed and separated
- 1 orange zested and juiced
- 1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp poppy seeds
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp light oil like canola, peanut
- generous pinch of salt
- freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the shredded chicken, peaches, green onions and csashews; toss well.
- In a small mason jar (or a small bowl), combine the orange zest and juice, sour cream, honey, poppy seeds, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper; shake to combine.
- Add to chicken salad and toss well.
- In a serving bowl, line the bowl with the lettuce leaves and add the chicken salad to the middle and serve.
