Creamy and fresh Cashew Chicken Salad is tossed in a delicious homemade dressing. It’s a perfect summer salad!
We all know chicken salad is hard to turn down, but add pasta and cashews, and it makes it even better!! This is the perfect summery salad to take to showers and BBQ’s!
A favorite pasta salad
Whenever we go to parties, get togethers, or baby showers, we’ll usually find at least one salad or pasta recipe, and we’re always trying them out so we can snag the recipe from whoever brought it.
This Cashew Chicken salad actually came from my sister-in-law’s mom. They served it at my brother’s wedding and it was a favorite—everyone was asking for the recipe! My mom has made it a few times since for events, and it’s always gone in no time.
If you’re one to enjoy pasta salads as well, then I suggest giving this one a try. It’s hearty and has a delicious creamy dressing that you will love!
How to Make Cashew Chicken Salad
This recipe is too easy!
Prep Pasta: Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. If you wish to season the pasta with salt, do so now. Use ¾ tablespoons salt for every 8 ounces of pasta. This recipe calls for about 3 cups, or 6 ounces, of dry bow tie pasta so use ½-¾ tablespoons of salt.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook the pasta to al dente. See package directions for specific times. Drain and rinse with cold water.
COMBINE. Mix cooked pasta, chopped celery, green onions, cubed chicken, and grapes together in a large bowl.
DRESS. Make the dressing and pour over the salad. Refrigerate for at least one hour and add cashews right before serving.
Change it up:
Not only is this pasta salad tasty, but the mixture of the colors and textures make it a pretty salad as well. The salad is easily customizable too. Here are a few ideas for equally delicious and beautiful variations:
- Use Almonds
- Red onion
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Add raisins or craisins
- Switch up the pasta: penne, rotini (either white or tricolored), medium shell pasta. Really any pasta that has some type of groove so the dressing will cling to every bite.
- Add salt, black pepper, garlic salt to taste
- Add shredded carrots
- Sprinkle in a bit of fresh cilantro
- Replace mayonnaise with greek yogurt
- Add a bit of diced red bell peppers
- Toss in some small broccoli florets
- Mix in some shredded red cabbage
Making Ahead + Storing
Make ahead of time: Prepare this pasta salad a couple of hours before serving. Any longer and the pasta will begin to absorb the moisture and the salad will become dried out. If you want to prep the ingredients the day before, then I suggest storing them in separate containers and then mixing them all together before serving.
STORE leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
For more Pasta Salad Recipes, try:
Cashew Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Pasta
- 3 cups pasta cooked
- 1/2 bunch celery chopped
- 1/2 bunch green onions sliced
- 3-4 chicken breasts cubed and cooked
- 1-2 cups grapes sliced in half
- 2 cups cashews
Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Mix all pasta ingredients together, except cashews.
- Combine sauce ingredients and poor over salad. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Add cashews just before serving.
I LOVE that this can be a side for pretty much any dish!
You’re right! And it’s perfect for parties and get togethers. 😉
Why does this say “uncooked” pasta?
I loved it! Fresh and surprising! I’ve shared your recipe with a link in my last post: a round-up of different ways of preparing cashew chicken. Hope you like it!
Patricia
I will check it out..thanks!
This tastes as good as it looks. I love chicken salad, so this twist with pasta and cashews hit the spot.
This has become of one my favorite pastas!! Had it at a reception & have craved it since!
I love the crunch and pasta. It is the perfect combo!
Thank you so much for this very delicious and tasty cashew chicken salad recipe! Will surely have this again. fam really loves it! Highly recommended!
This chicken salad is so good! It’s a favorite in our home. Only complaint is that we don’t make it enough.
This is a really delicious recipe. I love having it along side sandwiches and BBQs.
This was INCREDIBLE! I had never thought to put cashews and pasta together but it was the perfect combo of crunchy and soft pasta! Thank you!
I love the combination of flavors in this salad! Seriously amazing!
I love this salad as a light meal when it’s hot or as a cookout side dish. It’s so good!
Way too sweet for me. Will try with 1/4 cup brown sugar next time
Krystyn’s Cashew Chicken Salad Recipe
I made this for my wife. She was very skeptical that it would be as good as the kind our local grocery store makes.
They haven’t made it for a long time, so on a whim I tried this receipe.
I was pleasantly shocked that she said it was very good. I think she was more surprised than I was. My granddaughter, also quite picky, wanted 2nd helpings.
I am definitely saving this one!
Thank you