Description
Chicken Cashew Crunch Salad is a fresh and crunchy salad bursting with vibrant flavors. Featuring lean diced chicken breasts, crispy smoked turkey bacon, toasted cashews, and colorful fresh veggies, all tossed in a zesty apple cider vinegar dressing. This wholesome and easy-to-prepare salad delivers the perfect balance of textures and tastes for a satisfying lunch or light dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein
- 2 cooked chicken breasts, diced
- 4 slices smoked turkey bacon, cooked crispy and chopped
Vegetables and Nuts
- 4 cups mixed salad greens, washed and dried
- 1/2 cup toasted cashews
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons natural apple cider vinegar (natural)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon honey (natural)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (natural)
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken and Bacon: Cook and dice the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. Cook the smoked turkey bacon until crispy, then let cool before chopping into small strips.
- Toast the Cashews: Lightly toast the cashews in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring frequently until evenly browned and crunchy. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
- Chop and Assemble the Veggies: Wash and dry the mixed salad greens thoroughly. Thinly slice the cucumber, halve the cherry tomatoes, julienne the red bell pepper, and thinly slice the red onion. Place all the vegetables in a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk the Dressing: In a small bowl, combine apple cider vinegar (natural), olive oil, honey (natural), garlic powder (natural), salt, and black pepper. Whisk well until fully emulsified.
- Toss and Serve: Add diced chicken, crispy turkey bacon, and toasted cashews to the bowl with the veggies. Pour the dressing over everything and gently toss to coat all ingredients evenly. Serve immediately for best texture and flavor.
Notes
- Toast cubed stale bread alongside cashews to add croutons for extra crunch.
- Make sure all veggies are dry before tossing to help the dressing adhere and prevent sogginess.
- Let the dressing rest for 10 minutes after whisking to meld flavors.
- Watch cashews carefully while toasting to avoid burning, stirring frequently.
- Serve the salad immediately after tossing to maintain freshness and crunch.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 420mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
Keywords: chicken salad, cashew salad, crunchy salad, smoked turkey bacon salad, apple cider vinegar dressing, healthy lunch, light dinner
