Strawberry Cashew Chicken Salad

Here’s a question for all of you food bloggers and home cooks out there: Do you ever daydream about writing a cookbook? It’s something I do pretty frequently. In my head, I break my cookbook down into categories and list out the recipes that would go in each section. I realize that there’s a lot more work involved in the process than that, but hey, it’s fun to dream. Maybe one of these days I’ll actually do it! :)

If I were writing a cookbook, this is definitely one of the recipes that would be in it. A few months ago, I had some cashews on hand that I’d bought for another recipe, and I was trying to think of some creative things to do with what I had left – rather than feeding them all to Andrew for a snack, which was the choice that he advocated. For some reason I thought of using cashews in chicken salad instead of walnuts, and adding in some strawberries instead of grapes. I thought the flavors would work really well together, and they absolutely did. The salty cashews and sweet strawberries and tangy, sweet dressing made this variation on chicken salad incredibly delicious. I served ours on wheat toast with bacon, and I loved the additional salty, smoky element that the bacon provided. I’m incredibly proud of this recipe!

Strawberry Cashew Chicken Salad

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked shredded chicken
1/2 cup cashews, chopped
1 cup strawberries
1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced

Whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed. Add chicken, cashews, strawberries, and green onions. Serve on bread or over lettuce. Refrigerate before and after serving.