Make this Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Walnuts when you want to serve an entrée salad or main course salad. Consider this a lettuce salad extraordinaire, loaded with so many flavor combinations, your tastebuds might just explode!
I love serving dinner salads to my husband after a hot summer day. They are light and tasty, and easy to make, so you spend less time in a hot kitchen.
This salad boasts tender seared chicken, Roma tomatoes, julienned carrots, sweet peas, and boiled eggs. My husband loves boiled eggs on a salad so they are always a must. Add in a handful of dried cranberries, some English walnuts, cheddar cheese, and homemade sourdough croutons, and you have yourself a very nutritious meal.
Ingredients for Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Walnuts
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Instructions for this Recipe
Gather all your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Prepare the Ingredients
With a sharp knife and cutting board slice the chicken breast into 1/2″ pieces.
Tear the Butter Crunch or Iceberg lettuce into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl.
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Buy Now → Using a second cutting board, dice the Roma tomato, peel and julienne the carrot, and slice the red onion.
Place frozen petite sweet peas in a microwavable bowl and cook for 3-4 minutes until heated through.
You may use regular sweet peas for this salad, but I really like the petite version and how they “pop” in you mouth.
Shred cheddar cheese with a handheld grater.
Heat a large skillet with 2- 3 tablespoons olive oil. Place the sliced chicken in the hot oil and sprinkle with seasoned salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 7-8 minutes until browned, stirring often. Transfer the chicken to a bowl or plate lined with paper towels to catch the excess oil.
Cook the Eggs
The Secret to Boiling Farm Fresh Eggs
There is nothing more frustrating then boiling eggs and having the shell stick to the egg. This method for cooking hard-boiled eggs is the best I’ve found. I have about a 99% success rate using this method.
Remove 4 (or more) large eggs from refrigerator and allow to set out at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water. Heat over medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmering boil. Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt.
Using a wire strainer, lower eggs into the simmering water. The water should cover the eggs by at least 1-inch. Return water to a gentle boil, then set timer for 10-12 minutes.
Place ice in a pan of cold water. Remove eggs with a wire strainer and place in the ice cold water. Allow to cool for 8-10 minutes.
After allotted time, begin tapping one egg shell on the counter multiple times. Then start peeling from the largest end of the egg where there is likelihood of a bubble. Use fingers to get under the membrane and start peeling the shell off.
Peel off the eggshells and place the eggs in a bowl. Slice the eggs with a knife or an egg slicer.
When a recipe only calls for 2-4 eggs, I will often cook more to use in other recipes or for snacking, refrigerating the extras until ready to eat.
Assemble the Salad
Layer the following on a large tray or bowl: Butter Crunch lettuce, diced tomatoes, julienned carrots, sliced red onion, sweet peas, English walnuts, and dried cranberries. Gently mix by hand or spoon to blend.
Continue layering by adding the chicken pieces, sliced boiled eggs, and croutons. Gently toss to blend.
Serve the Salad
At this point you may either serve the salad on the table or on individual large plates. Whichever way you choose, finish by sprinkling with cheddar cheese, and freshly ground black pepper, along with a favorite salad dressing.
My husband always eats salad with ranch dressing, and I love Wishbone’s Red Wine Vinaigrette or Ott’s French Dressing. However, I recently learned about Dorothy Lynch Home Style Dressing, and it is amazing! If you can find this in the stores, I encourage you to give it a try and see what you think!
Of course, there are many variations you can make to this salad. Use spinach instead of Butter Crunch Lettuce, or try sunflower kernels instead of English walnuts. Also, if you’ve never tried making your own dressing, I encourage you to try one of these favorites–Thousand Island Dressing, French Dressing, or Homemade Ranch Dressing.
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Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Walnuts
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless chicken breast or chicken tenders sliced 1/2 inch thick
- 3 tablespoons extra Virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 oz Butter Crunch Lettuce
- 4 large hard-boiled eggs peeled and sliced
- 1 medium Roma tomato diced
- 1 large carrot peeled and julienned
- 1/3 cup red onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup frozen peas thawed
- 3/4 cup English walnuts chopped
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup croutons
- 1 oz cheddar cheese grated
- 2/3 cup favorite vinaigrette or salad dressing
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Instructions Click to Start Cooking
- Gather all your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
- With a sharp knife and cutting board slice 1 pound (453.59 g) boneless chicken breast or chicken tenders sliced 1/2 inch thick into 1/2" pieces.
- Shred 8 oz (226.8 g) Butter Crunch Lettuce (or Iceberg lettuce) into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl.
- Using a second cutting board, dice 1 medium (1 medium) Roma tomato diced. Peel and julienne 1 large (1 large) carrot peeled and julienned, and thinly slice 1/3 cup (53.33 g) red onion thinly sliced.
- Place 1/2 cup (72.5 g) frozen peas thawed in a microwavable bowl and cook for 3-4 minutes until heated through. Shred 1 oz (28.35 g) cheddar cheese grated with a handheld grater.
- Heat a large skillet with 3 tablespoons (44.36 ml) extra Virgin olive oil. Place the sliced chicken in the hot oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon (4.93 ml) seasoned salt and 1/2 teaspoon (2.46 ml) freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 7-8 minutes until browned, stirring often. Transfer the chicken to a bowl or plate lined with paper towels to catch the excess oil.
- To cook the eggs, remove 4 (or more) large eggs from refrigerator and allow to set out at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
- Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water. Heat over medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmering boil. Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt.Using a wire strainer, lower eggs into the simmering water. The water should cover the eggs by at least 1-inch. Return water to a gentle boil, then set timer for 10-12 minutes.
- Place ice in a pan of cold water. Remove eggs with a wire strainer and place in the ice cold water. Allow to cool for 8-10 minutes.
- After allotted time, begin tapping one egg shell on the counter multiple times. Then start peeling from the largest end of the egg where there is likelihood of a bubble. Use fingers to get under the membrane and start peeling the shell off.
- Peel off the eggshells and place the eggs in a bowl. Slice the eggs with a knife or an egg slicer.
- Layer the following on a large tray or in bowl: Butter Crunch or Iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes, julienned carrots, sliced red onion, sweet peas, English walnuts, and dried cranberries. Gently mix by hand or spoon to blend.
- Next, add the chicken pieces, sliced boiled eggs, and croutons. Gently toss to blend.
- At this point you may either serve the salad on the table or on individual large plates. Whichever way you choose, finish by sprinkling with cheddar cheese, and freshly ground black pepper, along with a favorite salad dressing. Serves 4.
