As spring unfolds and gatherings move outdoors, the table calls for a dish as vibrant and fresh as the season. Curry Chicken Salad with Cashews is bursting with bright color, uplifting flavor, crunch and a hint of sweetness, making it a perfect light yet satisfying dish for festive spring gatherings.
As it is said, “you eat with your eyes first.” Setting the scene and ambiance for a gathering is often the secret “sauce” to the final impression of a dish. Here are a few ideas for a joyful spring garden party to compliment Curry Chicken Salad with Cashews.
THE TABLE & DÉCOR
- Choose a color palate that combines calming neutrals or pastels with pops of color.
- Turn your dish into a customizable serving station. In this case serve your Chicken Curry Salad with a topping bar. Options include additional nuts and chopped scallions, chopped dried apricot and a variety of raisins, different types of chopped herbs, and lettuce leaves. Edible flowers are a nice touch. Try pansies, violets, nasturtium and borage.
- Floral and botanical touches throughout add enchantment. Think potted herbs, mason jars or vases filled with tulips, hydrangea, ferns and wild flowers.
- Offer your guests moist tea towels spritzed with botanical water like rose, lavender or mint.
LIGHTING
- Fairy lights
- Paper lanterns
- String or curtain lights
- Floating candles or hurricanes
ACTIVITIES
- Croquet
- Bocce Ball
- Cornhole
- Giant Jenga
- Trivia
- Sip and paint
ENTERTAINMENT
- Live music (Jazz, guitarist, or harpist)
- Storytelling
- Magician
- Live event painter
- Botanical mixology class
- Silent disco
- Butterfly release
With a welcoming table, a few thoughtful details, and this Curry Chicken Salad with Cashews: you’ve got everything you need for a spring gathering blooming with warmth, great conversation, and good eats.
Curry Chicken Salad with Cashews
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 pounds chicken breast
- 1/3 cup avocado oil, or other neutral high heat oil
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ cups mayonnaise (preferably Duke’s)
- ¼ cup apricot jam (you can substitute with peach jam)
- 1 ½– 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 1 tablespoon garam masala powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ medium lemon, juiced
- 1 ¼ cup diced celery
- 1/3 cup raisins, rough chopped
- ¼ cup chopped scallions, green and white parts
- 1 cup toasted cashews, rough chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place chicken breasts on a sheet pan. Drizzle with avocado oil and sprinkle liberally with freshly ground black pepper and sea salt.
- Roast for 30-40 minutes, until just cooked through (165 degrees F internal temperature). Set aside to cool.
- While the chicken is cooling, combine the mayonnaise, jam, curry powder, garam masala powder, sea salt and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
- To the dressing, add celery, raisins, and scallions. Toss to coat.
- Once cool enough to handle, dice chicken into medium bite sized pieces. Add to the salad. Mix to combine. Refrigerate for at least two hours to allow the flavors to blend.
- To serve, toss the curry chicken salad with toasted cashews. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve cool or at room temperature.
Notes
- Curry Chicken Salad with Cashews can be kept covered in the refrigerator for 2-4 days.
- This recipe was formulated to feed a crowd. Cut the recipe in half for a “family” sized portion.
- When serving to a crowd, Curry Chicken Salad with Cashews can be kept out at room temperature for up to 2 hours, and for temperatures above 90 degrees F for up to 1 hour. If you want to keep it safe to eat for longer, nest the serving bowl inside a larger bowl filled with ice.
ACCOMPANIMENTS & PAIRINGS
- I often serve this salad as a finger sandwich on brioche slider buns, croissants, or on good quality white or seeded bread (crusts cut off and sandwich cut in half.)
- For a gluten free option, you can serve this salad in lettuce cups. Just separate the leaves of bibb lettuce or Belgium endive and scantly fill with Curry Chicken Salad with Cashews.
- One of my favorite flavor pairings with most things curry, is citrus. Try pairing Curry Chicken Salad with Citrus Crudo and Shaved Fennel.
- Iced tea
- Cucumber mint water
- Lemon-lime seltzer
- Reisling
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Rosé
Enjoy!
