Chicken Salad with Grapes and Celery Recipe
This salad is popular in American lunchboxes and at picnics – pieces of chicken in a creamy dressing with crunchy celery and sweet grapes. The flavor is a bit like a mix between a vegetable salad and a sandwich spread, but lighter and more refreshing. It’s perfect as a filling for rolls, tortillas, or simply eaten from a plate with a slice of bread.
A classic American-style chicken salad with grapes and celery that is both creamy and refreshing. It combines tender chicken, crunchy celery, sweet grapes, and toasted walnuts in a light dressing, making it ideal for sandwiches, wraps, or a quick lunch from a bowl.
Chef's tips
Make sure the chicken is completely cooled before mixing with the dressing so the sauce stays smooth and doesn’t become watery. Toasting the walnuts intensifies their flavor and adds a pleasant crunch. If you prepare the salad in advance, add the nuts just before serving so they stay crisp.
How to serve
Serve the salad on a bed of crisp lettuce, in a soft roll or baguette, or rolled in a tortilla with extra lettuce leaves. It also works well as a topping for crackers or as part of a buffet table alongside other salads and cold cuts.
Ingredients
- chicken breast - 400 g
- grapes - 150 g
- celery stalks - 2 stalks
- walnuts - 40 g
- mayonnaise - 3 tablespoons
- plain yogurt - 3 tablespoons
- mustard - 1 teaspoon
- lemon juice - 1 tablespoon
- salt - 0.5 teaspoons
- black pepper - 0.25 teaspoons
- oil - 1 tablespoon
Preparation
- Cook the chicken breast in lightly salted water or steam it for about 15–20 minutes, until it is no longer pink in the center, then remove and let it cool completely.
- Cut the cooled chicken into small cubes or shred it into fibers with your fingers.
- Wash and dry the grapes, then cut them in half; you can cut larger ones into quarters.
- Wash the celery, trim the ends, and slice it into thin pieces.
- Roughly chop the walnuts, then place them in a dry pan and toast for 3–4 minutes over medium heat until fragrant, then set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, mix the mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until you get a smooth dressing.
- Add the chicken, celery, grapes, and walnuts to the bowl with the dressing and gently mix with a spoon so all the ingredients are evenly coated.
- Taste and, if needed, season with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice.
- Refrigerate the salad for at least 20–30 minutes to let the flavors meld, then serve chilled.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
This is one of those versatile salads that works just as well in a lunchbox as it does on a picnic blanket. It’s easy to adapt to what you have on hand, and the combination of creamy dressing, sweet grapes, and crunchy celery makes it hard to resist.
