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Chicken cashew salad on a bed of spring mix.
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Healthy Cashew Chicken Salad (dairy free)

This healthy cashew chicken salad with apples is a dairy-free & healthy twist on the classic. Made with wholesome ingredients like chicken breasts, sweet apples, crunchy celery, raw cashews, and a creamy dairy-free dressing.
Course dinner, lunch, Salad
Cuisine American
Diet Gluten Free
Prep Time 25 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 542kcal
Author Sara

Ingredients

Cashew Chicken Salad Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. cooked and shredded chicken
  • 1 apple chopped (I prefer a sweet apple)
  • 1 cup chopped celery (about 3 stalks)
  • ½ cup raw cashews (sliced or whole)

Dressing Ingredients

  • ½ cup mayonnaise (see notes)
  • ½ cup non-dairy Greek yogurt (see notes)
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp honey (optional)
  • 1 tsp ground mustard
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt (more to taste)
  • ¼ tsp ground pepper

Instructions

  • First, prepare the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients.
  • To a large bowl, add the chicken, chopped apples, chopped celery, cashews, and prepared dressing. Mix until all ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing.
  • You can eat right away, but it's even better if allowed to sit covered in the fridge for 1-2 hours before eating.
  • Serve over a bed of spinach or in a sandwich. Try adding avocado, green onions, and/or tomatoes as additional toppings!
  • Enjoy!

Notes

  • For the mayonnaise, look for avocado oil mayonnaise (Primal Kitchen makes a great one). Most mayonnaise contains unhealthy oils and other ingredients. The key to keeping this dressing clean is all in the dressing/mayonnaise. 
  • I use Kite Hill almond milk Greek yogurt since I'm mostly dairy-free, but any Greek yogurt will work. Just make sure it's unsweetened and if made from cow's milk, preferably organic. 
  • The honey in the dressing is completely optional. It adds a slight sweetness, but I've made it without the honey before and it's great without as well!
  • Shredded chicken breast, diced chicken breast, or pulled rotisserie chicken will all work. 
  • Instead of raw cashews, try roasted cashews. 
  • Salad will stay fresh stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 542kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 405mg | Potassium: 443mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 302IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 2mg