My favorite Raspberry Walnut Chicken Salad featuring leafy greens, fresh raspberries, shredded chicken, chopped walnuts, and thinly sliced red onion, all tossed in a creamy raspberry vinaigrette.
This salad combines bright, fresh flavors and a variety of textures: sweet-tart raspberries, crisp mixed greens, tender shredded chicken, savory red onion and crunchy walnuts, all finished with a vibrant raspberry vinaigrette. It’s simple to assemble and easy to adapt to your tastes.
Customize however you like: add crumbled goat or feta cheese, swap raspberries for strawberries or blueberries, include avocado or dried cranberries, or switch walnuts for pecans, almonds, or cashews.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Mixed greens – I used a mix of arugula, baby kale and baby spinach, but any leafy greens you prefer will work.
- Chicken – Rotisserie chicken is my go-to for ease and flavor, but shredded leftover chicken, cubed cooked breast, or even canned chicken can be used.
- Raspberries – Fresh or frozen raspberries add bright flavor and antioxidants; strawberries, blueberries or chopped apples or pears are good substitutes.
- Red onion – Thinly sliced for a mild, savory bite.
- Walnuts – Chopped for crunch; pecans, almonds or cashews are fine alternatives.
- Raspberry vinaigrette – A simple dressing of raspberries, red wine vinegar, a touch of balsamic, olive oil, honey (or maple syrup), finely chopped shallot, and salt and pepper.
Easy Raspberry Vinaigrette
The raspberry vinaigrette is quick, creamy, and full of color. Blend raspberries with red wine vinegar, a splash of balsamic, olive oil, honey or maple syrup, a finely chopped shallot, and a pinch of salt and pepper until smooth. Use fresh or frozen raspberries—both work well.
Making the dressing at home is budget-friendly and fresher-tasting than store-bought dressings. Blend in a blender or food processor and store in the refrigerator in a sealed jar for up to a week. Bring it to room temperature and shake or whisk before serving if the oil solidifies.
Can this Salad be Prepped in Advance?
Yes. To keep the greens crisp, prep components separately and assemble when ready to serve:
- Store washed raspberries in a sealed container in the fridge and keep thinly sliced red onion in a sealed bag or container.
- Shred and refrigerate cooked chicken separately.
- Make the vinaigrette ahead and store it in a sealed jar in the fridge. Before serving, let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes and shake or whisk to recombine. The dressing will keep up to a week.
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More Salad Recipes You’ll Love
- Strawberry Balsamic Salad
- Healthy Greek Salad
- Chinese Chicken Salad
- My Favorite Detox Salad
- Fall Salad with Maple Tahini Dressing
I hope you enjoy this Raspberry Walnut Chicken Salad. If you make it, please leave a rating and tag on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny — I love seeing your recreations!
Raspberry Walnut Chicken Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 6 cups mixed greens, I used baby spinach and arugula mix
- 2 cups shredded chicken, I used rotisserie
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
For the Raspberry Vinaigrette:
- 1/2 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
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Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
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Toss mixed greens, shredded chicken, raspberries, red onion and walnuts in a large bowl. Drizzle with the raspberry vinaigrette and toss to coat, or serve the dressing on the side for individual portions. Season with extra cracked black pepper if desired and enjoy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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