Chicken Waldorf because, it sounds soooo prestigious.
You guys, I am practically foaming at the mouth while I wait for pumpkin spice season. I mean, it’s literally the 31st of August. Can you blame me? Didn’t think so. Basically, I am ten degrees away from possibly thinking about my Ugg boots.
Anyways, I’m starting to go bonkers with with all the cool alternatives we have to whip up in the summer to avoid the oven. (BTW I may or may not have just used the vacant apartments oven next to us just so I could make a tomato soup that will be on the blog horizon soon). This Chicken Waldorf Orzo Pasta Salad is pretty great though. It is exactly what you need while mother nature throws (hopefully) one last temperature tantrum.
Bring on the bound salad!
Try another chicken salad here!
In true bound salad fashion, this chicken waldorf orzo pasta salad, is extremely easy to make. I usually prep the orzo and chicken in the morning to give it a few hours to cool. This makes it a walk in the park to throw together in a mixing bowl. And then, badda bing, badda boom- you have lunch for the week. Or- a nice side for a weekend get together.
Once you take a bite, you get such a diverse amount of textures and flavors. For one, chicken waldorf has crunch from the celery, sweetness from the fruit, and creamy from the yogurt/mayo. Now I am a huge fan of switching things up. So, use this recipe as a guide. Try throwing an herb into the mix and see how it comes out. If I am in the mood, sometimes I chop up some red onion in the mix… I just wasn’t feeling it this afternoon.
There are a million ways to eat this bad boy. If you’re feeling carby throw it in a sandwich or wrap it in butter lettuce. I personally ate this chicken waldorf orzo pasta salad plain and it hit the spot!
Chicken Waldorf Orzo Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups, Chicken, cooked and cubed
- 8 oz, Orzo
- 1 Apple, medium diced
- 2 Celery Stalks, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups, Red Grapes, sliced in half
- 1/3 cup, Mayo
- 1/2 cup, Greek Yogurt
- 1 1/2- 2 tbsp Honey or Agave Nectar
- 1/2 cup, Toasted Walnuts
- 2 cups, Arugula
- 2 tsp, Dried Thyme
- Salt and Pepper
- Lemon Juice
Instructions
Cook orzo according to pasta package instructions
Drain water and cool in fridge
Mix chicken, apple, celery, grapes, and cooled cooked orzo pasta
In a separate bowl mix mayo, greek yogurt, sweetener, thyme, lemon, salt and pepper
Taste mayo mixture and adjust seasonings as needed
Pour into bowl and mix until evenly distributed
Add Walnuts and Arugula
Taste and season to taste with lemon juice, salt, and pepper
10 Comments
Kristin
September 2, 2017 at 5:45 pmI need to make this. I LOVE waldorf salad. Thanks for the idea!
Carolyn
September 2, 2017 at 6:57 pmYummy! Looks wonderful. We are heading for Spring where we are now. Enjoy the colder season.
Megan
September 2, 2017 at 9:17 pmThis actually looks like something I could make it not mess up. I’m going to try this. Thank you.
Heather LeGuilloux
September 3, 2017 at 1:14 amMy partner introduced me to Orzo a few years ago, it’s amazing! This sounds like a very healthy recipe to try out, too. Thanks so much!
AmberLynn
September 3, 2017 at 1:24 amWhat a simple, yet deliciously refreshing looking salad. I will definitely have to try this recipe. I am always looking for interesting salads.
Elaine Ferguson
September 14, 2019 at 9:51 pmI see this recipe was posted about 2 years ago, but I just ran across it. Am I overlooking something? Where is the orzo in the recipe?
theseasonaljunkie_j6gv8c
September 23, 2019 at 9:16 pmThanks for pointing that out Elaine, the recipe is all updated! Enjoy!
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