Chicken Salad with Grapes, Pineapple and Walnuts

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There are so many amazing and delicious chicken salad recipes out there that I had a helluva time deciding which one sounded the most appealing.  There’s Waldorf Salad, Curry Chicken Salad, Asian Chicken Salad, Southern-Style Chicken Salad, Jerk Chicken Salad, Mango Chicken Salad and even Chicken Salad Salad (really?)….CRIPES – the list is a mile long! So, my indecisiveness lead me to a perfect solution: create a new recipe and add to the madness.

I stared with the basics (shredded chicken, mayo, salt and pepper) and continued to add my favorite ingredients along the way. In the end, it turned out to be an absolute hit – according to my audience.  I used a combination of spices, fruits and nuts. It’s chunky, fruity, nutty and pure bliss. If you brown-bagged this beauty, you would have lunch envy from your coworkers for sure. To ensure maximum envy and 100% satisfaction, serve on a warm and fresh croissant.

Ingredients:

• 3 or 4 large chicken breasts – bone in. Boiled and well chopped into small pieces
• 1 stalk celery, finely diced
• 1 cup diced apple
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Dash soy sauce
• 1/4 cup chopped pineapple chunks
• Handful of red and\or green grapes-cut in halves or quarters
• 1/3 cup mayo (plus more to taste if you wish)
• 2 dashes smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon of curry powder
• 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• Fresh cracked black pepper to taste