Cashew Chicken Rotini Salad
User Reviews
4.4
Cashew Chicken Rotini Salad
Description
Cashew Chicken Rotini Salad features a mix of rotini pasta, cooked diced chicken, halved green and red grapes, and dried cranberries. The creamy dressing is made by whisking ranch salad dressing and mayonnaise together, then tossed with the salad ingredients after the pasta is cooked and cooled by rinsing under cold water. Adding salted cashews at the end introduces a crunchy note against the smooth dressing and juicy fruit. Serving chilled enhances the flavors, producing a balanced interplay of savory, sweet, and nutty elements. This salad offers a satisfying texture combination and can serve as a light meal or side dish.
The grapes add bursts of natural sweetness while the dried cranberries contribute a tart element. The use of rotini pasta helps to hold the dressing well. Chilling the salad for at least one hour before serving allows the flavors to fully develop. To keep the pasta salad from sticking when prepared in advance, it's helpful to rinse and toss it in olive oil after cooking. Leftovers store well in an airtight container in the fridge, lasting for 3 to 5 days.
Ingredients
- 16 oz rotini pasta
- 4 c. chicken cubed cooked
- 1 c. green grapes halved, seedless
- 1 c. red grapes halved, seedless
- 5 oz dried cranberries
- 1 c. ranch salad dressing
- 3/4 c. mayonnaise
- 2 c. cashews salted
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to packaged directions. Drain pasta and rinse in cold water.
- In a large bowl combine chicken, grapes and cranberries. Add pasta.
- In a small bowl, whisk ranch dressing and mayonnaise. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
- Just before serving stir in cashews.
Notes
- Rinsing cooked pasta with cold water cools it quickly and helps keep the pasta pieces separate, preventing clumping in the salad.
- You can make this salad the night before; however, the dressing may absorb into the pasta, so add a little more dressing before serving if needed.
- Tossing pasta with a little olive oil after rinsing can reduce sticking and preserve texture when preparing ahead.
- Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 16Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 537 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 537kcal | 27% |
| Carbohydrates | 45g | 15% |
| Protein | 21g | 42% |
| Fat | 32g | 49% |
| Saturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Cholesterol | 47mg | 16% |
| Sodium | 493mg | 21% |
| Potassium | 521mg | 11% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 13g | 26% |
| Vitamin A | 50IU | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 2.1mg | 2% |
| Calcium | 32mg | 3% |
| Iron | 2.6mg | 14% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.4
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