Salad with Chicken, Prunes, and Walnuts
A hearty salad built on three textures: soft cubes of poached chicken fillet, fried button mushrooms with golden onion, moist prunes, and crunchy walnuts. The prunes bring a smoky-sweet note and moisture, while the nuts add a faint bitterness that balances the mayonnaise. Unlike the layered versions common in Eastern European holiday spreads, everything here is simply tossed together, so the flavors merge right away.
Three things that make or break it
- Soak the prunes in warm water until soft, then pat them dry — wet prunes thin out the dressing. Check for pits before chopping.
- Fry the mushrooms over high heat without a lid: the moisture has to evaporate so they brown rather than stew.
- Toast the walnuts briefly in a dry pan — it deepens their aroma and sharpens the crunch.
Let the salad rest in the fridge for at least half an hour. For a lighter taste, replace part of the mayonnaise with sour cream (smetana, a full-fat cultured cream). Serve garnished with a few nuts and strips of red bell pepper on top.
Part of Ukrainian cuisine — 464 more recipes in the section.
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Ingredients
Instructions
Boil the chicken and cut it into cubes.
Cut the onion into half-rings and sauté until golden. Slice the mushrooms and fry them.
Cut the pre-soaked prunes into 3 pieces. Chop the walnuts.
Mix all the ingredients and dress with mayonnaise. Cut a bow shape from the pepper and garnish the salad with it.
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