Introducing a mouthwatering recipe for Cherry Chicken Pasta Salad! This delicious pasta dish is a perfect blend of flavors and textures, thanks to the combination of red onions, dried cherries, homemade poppyseed dressing, and toasted almonds. It’s a cold pasta salad that can be enjoyed year-round, but is especially refreshing on hot summer days.
To make this recipe, you will need some rotisserie chicken, Gemelli pasta, mayonnaise, and poppyseed dressing. You can use store-bought dressing or make your own if you’re feeling adventurous. Toasted almond slivers add some extra crunch and flavor to the salad. To toast the almonds, you can use the oven, stovetop, or microwave.
When cooking the pasta for a cold salad, it’s important to choose a short pasta with nooks and crannies to absorb all the dressing. Cook it just past al dente, but don’t let it get mushy. Rinse the pasta in cold water to stop the cooking process and prevent it from clumping together.
To make the Cherry Chicken Pasta Salad, combine the shredded chicken, cooked pasta noodles, chopped red onion, and dried cherries in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, poppyseed dressing, salt, and pepper. Fold the dressing mixture and toasted almonds into the pasta mixture and serve immediately. If you’re not serving the salad right away, reserve some of the dressing mixture and almonds to add just before serving.
This Cherry Chicken Pasta Salad is perfect for potlucks, gatherings, or as a refreshing lunch. Store it in the refrigerator for up to five days, and when you’re ready to eat the leftovers, add a little more dressing to make it creamier.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 package (16 ounces) Gemelli noodles, cooked al dente per package instructions
- 3/4 cup chopped red onion
- 1 package (5 ounces) dried cherries
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- 1 cup poppyseed dressing
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup toasted almond slivers
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, cooked noodles, chopped red onion, and dried cherries.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, poppyseed dressing, salt, and black pepper to make the dressing.
- Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and toss until everything is coated evenly.
- Fold in the toasted almond slivers.
- Serve the salad immediately or chill it in the refrigerator for an hour before serving.
This salad is perfect for any occasion, from a casual lunch to a potluck or picnic. The combination of savory chicken, sweet cherries, and crunchy almonds makes it a tasty and satisfying meal that’s also easy to prepare. Enjoy!
