This Chicken Poppy Seed Salad  is Melanie’s recipe and it is wonderful. Since she has never posted it, I had to get it out there for you all to enjoy it too! Mel is a born hostess and party planner… she has hosted an engagement party for every single one of her 4 younger siblings and at mine she served this salad…along with a whole bunch of other delicious foods, as you can imagine! My mother-in-law recently remarked how much she liked this salad that night. (It’s been 4 years…must be a great salad, right!) So here you go… just in time for summer. Yeah!
Chicken Poppy Seed Salad
Ingredients
Scale
- Spinach leaves
- Romaine leaves
- Grilled chicken, sliced (grill with lots of lemon pepper seasoning)
- Red onion, sliced thinly
- Crispy bacon, crumbled
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Toasted almonds (or you can sugar the almonds. Put sliced almonds in a pan with lots of granulated sugar (about equal amounts). Cook on medium heat until sugar melts, coating the almonds as they brown.)
The best part… The Dressing:
- 1 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp dry mustard
- 2/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 3 Tb Maui or Vidalia onion, chopped
- 2 cups canola oil
- 3 Tb poppy seeds
Instructions
- Mix the first 5 ingredients in a blender, then slowly add the oil, blending until thick.
- Stir in poppy seeds. Toss all ingredients together with generous amount of dressing before serving.
- *This makes a lot of dressing! If you need a really big salad for a party then start with a large bunch of spinach, large head of romaine, 4 chicken breasts, 1 lb bacon, etc. I rarely make a salad that big so that is why there are no “amounts”. So have fun with it – you’re going to love it!
This was AMAZING! Made it for a baby shower and gave some to my hubby to try it out before serving it to the mass crowd. Needless to say my husband, who considers salads “rabbit food,” loved this and couldn’t get enough. Thanks!
This salad was AMAZING! My Mom & I had it to serve at my niece’s baby shower and it was a hit with the ladies! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Hi Anonymous,
This is Erin. I figured I would answer your question based off of my experience. I would definitely prefer to use canola oil, because like you said, olive oil has a distinctive taste that may be noticeable in the dressing. However, if you have nothing but olive oil, if I were in your place I would just go ahead and use it. It may turn out to be just fine! You could always half the dressing recipe, in that case. – The full recipe makes a TON!
In the salad dressing, can you use olive oil instead of canola oil? will it affect the taste?
Thanks for all your great recipes!
I made this salad tonight and my husband said it was the best salad we've had, and I thought he meant that I made and he said EVER!! I cant believe how delicious it is and I cant wait to make it for a larger crowd to enjoy. I just found your site and you ladies cook the way we like to eat! I cant wait to make some more of your creations
Hello Sisters!
I have been reading your blog for awhile and LOVE the recipes you share. Thank you so much! We are blessing our 4th baby in July and I am looking for a wonderful brunch menu (I have been eyeing your chicken poppyseed salad). Do you have any suggestions or ideas?
Thanks!
wilkinson_fam@yahoo.com
I love your food blogs too. I tried this salad and it was so good. My husband kept coming home from work saying. . ."I'm craving that salad, can we have it again?"
The copy cat blog refered to above is actually
http://www.heywhatchagotcookin.blogspot.com/
Hey, I LOVE your recipes and so does my family! I just wanted to let you know that someone is copying and pasting your recipes (word for word) and putting them on their cooking blog. Maybe you know this person and you don't mind, but I just thought I would let you know just in case. heywhatchagotcooking.blogspot.com.
I made this last night for my Mother-in-Law and her boyfriend and served it with warm cinnamon rolls (Don't be impressed … they were the frozen kind). He rated it a "10" and that's a lot since last time he ate over we had a pot roast that tasted and looked a lot like the bottom of a hiking boot!
Thanks for a Keeper!
– Kathy
I’ve been a fan of your blog for a few months now! I check it ALL the time and use your recipes at least 2-3 times a week! I’m in Toledo and am a friend of Brittani Curtis’. I made this yummy salad yesterday for a big ward potluck…it was a HUGE hit! Thank you so much for sharing!!
-lindsay d
Awesome blog, Ladies! Thanks for visiting mine, Mindy. Such yummy food here! (I can’t wait to try the chocolate banana bread and I’ve made triple rice crispy treats before! Yum!)
I make a similar salad minus the chicken, I will have to try your version…and add the chicken for just the hubs!
Oh, I’m so glad you posted Melanie’s salad. It looks like a total winner. How delicious!! I love that it’s refreshing, too, and not too heavy. Sorry I’ve been away for the past week; I had a good friend in town and wasn’t able to do much on the computer. I’m back now, though 🙂
Oh, I LOVE this salad! I had forgotten about it, but I will definitely be making it one of these hot summer nights when I can’t bear to turn on the oven. 🙂
I love salads and this one looks amazing. Thanks for sharing it.
Perfect for a picnic, this looks delicious!
great picture – it’s mouth watering! I need to make this recipe again!
This looks delish and I love the idea of engagement parties. I’m keeping this recipe on file and “borrowing” that tradition for my family. Love it!
Mmm. Definitely making this. Add a little homemade bread and call it DINNER:)
it really sounds good, another great salad for the summer…if it ever gets here in Pa.! LOL!!
Yum! I do love this salad! I am glad you posted it Britt!