By: Kaylen Jackson Posted: 7/9/26
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Jump to RecipeThe best Summer Lunch!
Chicken salad– is it even summer without it?! I have been making various variations of this “salad” with chicken, turkey, or tuna for years. This one is mine– and my family’s– absolute favorite, especially in the warmer months! I love it because it is so easy to pull together and packs a delicious sweet, salty and crunchy taste in each bite! I use a couple of pre-made products in this recipe, mainly to make my life easier and still provide the amazing flavor. But honestly, this recipe is so forgiving. So if you are missing an ingredient or two, I’d suggest just going for it!
The “Key” ingredients
Some of the ingredients that make this salad so delicious are the poppyseed dressing and the nut/fruit mixture that I purchase to add. I love using Brianna’s Poppy Seed dressing brings the perfect amount of sweetness and tastes wonderful with the dried cherries! I also love to include Orchard Valley Harvest’s Glazed Pecan & Cranberry Salad Topper in this salad– it isn’t a mandatory ingredient if you don’t have it or have a hard time finding it in your local grocery store, but I definitely think its worth looking for because it brings the salad to a whole new level! If you are a Costco member, Costco sells a giant bag of this salad topper too!
Be sure to share your feedback on this recipe in the comments below! I’d love to hear how you like it and what you served with this salad!
Cherry chicken poppy seed Salad
Difficulty: Easy8
servings15
minutes20
minutesSweet and savory salad! This version of my chicken salad is great for meal prep, to have on hand for your lunches throughout the week, or to even bring to a gathering with some crackers!
Ingredients
1 medium red onion, finely diced
3 stalks of celery, finely diced
6 cups cooked chicken breast or turkey breast, cubed
3/4 cup dried cherries
1 cup pumpkin seeds or Orchard Valley Harvest Glazed Pecan & Cranberry Salad Topper
- For the Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup poppy seed salad dressing (I recommend Brianna’s Poppy Seed Dressing)
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt or salt to taste
Directions
- Combine cooked chicken or turkey, diced red onion, celery, dried cherries, and pumpkin seeds or Orchard Valley Glazed Pecan & Cranberry Salad Topper into a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients. This includes the mayonnaise, poppy seed dressing, rice vinegar, red wine vinegar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, and salt to taste. Whisk well until everything is fully combined and the dressing is smooth.
- Pour the dressing over the chicken, vegetable and nut mixture until everything is well-coated.
- Store the salad in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an air-tight container.
Notes
- Serving Ideas:
– Serve on top of greens (arugula or spring greens are my favorites!)
-Serve with your favorite whole grain cracker for a “snacky” lunch or an appetizer at a gathering
-Serve sandwich style between two slices of sourdough or whole-grain bread with a little lettuce on top! - I love to use Brianna’s Poppy Seed dressing— it is extra creamy and so flavorful in this salad!
- I also love using Orchard Valley’s Glazed Pecan & Cranberry Salad Topper in this salad in place of the pumpkin seeds! This blend adds a little something special to the salad with the sweet and saltiness of the nuts and cranberries with the dried cherries and sweet poppy seed dressing. If you are a Costco member, most stores carry a large bag of this blend that you can pick up for this and so many other salads! It’s also great in a lettuce salad with a balsamic dressing– Yum!
- To save some time, consider using diced meat from a rotisserie chicken or a pre-cooked oven roasted turkey breast (available Costco and many other grocery stores in the deli section).
Nutrition Facts
8 servings per container
- Amount Per ServingCalories397
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat
19g
25%
- Saturated Fat 4g 20%
- Trans Fat 0g
- Cholesterol 96mg 32%
- Sodium 331mg 15%
- Total Carbohydrate
21g
8%
- Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
- Total Sugars 13g
- Protein 34g 68%
- Vitamin D 6mcg 30%
- Calcium 42mg 4%
- Iron 2mg 12%
- Potassium 479mg 11%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
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