What could be better on a hot summer day than a cool and refreshing summer salad of roasted chicken, pasta, apple and celery tossed with a delicious mango-curry sauce. Another timeless recipe out of my mom’s recipe box that never disappoints. It is one of our favorites to take to outdoor summer concerts at the Denver Botanic Gardens, along with Tomato and Prosciutto Salad or a watermelon salad.
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Curried Chicken Pasta Salad
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Refrigeration Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
Scale
Curry Dressing
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream or nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon curry powder (or more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 1/3 cup mango chutney (see Note)
Chicken Pasta Salad
- 4 ounces medium pasta shells (can also use other short pastas)
- 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions (white, light green and some dark green part)
- 1/2 cup chopped celery (including leaves)
- 1/2 cup (heaping) chopped green apple
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
Instructions
Curry Dressing
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise and sour cream (or yogurt). Whisk in curry powder, turmeric, cinnamon and cayenne pepper.
- Cut up any large pieces of mango in the chutney and whisk in.
- Cover and refrigerate.
Chicken Pasta Salad
- Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, rinse and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss together cooled pasta, chicken, raisins, scallions, celery, and apple (I like to use my hands). Add the dressing and (using spoons this time!) toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours before serving.
- Around 20 to 30 minutes before serving, remove salad from refrigerator and stir in almonds.
- Line a serving bowl with lettuce leaves. Spoon salad into bowl. Serve.
Notes
Note on mango chutney: A widely available brand is “Major Grey’s Chutney”
Make ahead: Dressing can be prepared 24 hours in advance, covered and refrigerated. Salad can also be prepared through step 5 up to 24 hours ahead, covered and refrigerated. Follow directions above for finishing and serving.
- Category: main dish salads, make ahead
- Method: Refrigerate
- Cuisine: American
I was looking for a recipe close to the one I bought at the store and this was pretty close I love it
★★★★
Glad you liked it!