Dorothy Lynch Chicken Salad with Grapes

Dorothy Lynch Chicken Salad with Grapes
Submitted by Penny Lewton Binek

This is one of Leona Lewton's family's favorite recipes for summer gatherings at the farm or when fishing down at Haley Dam--she's the one who started adding Dorothy Lynch Dressing to a chicken salad with grapes in it, and I decided to spice up the chicken.
Dorothy Lynch Salad Dressing must be a mid-western thing, so in case your grocery store doesn't carry it, I'll include a recipe for it. I usually just dump the salad ingredients together, adjusting amounts depending on how full my bowl looks so my measurements here are approximations.

1 lb. Chicken Breasts, cooked and cubed (I often cube a package of chicken breasts and brown it in 1 Tbsp. of oil, then simmer it 5 minutes--until cooked through--with a packet of Chicken Taco seasoning and a 1/2 cup of water. Set aside to cool).

1 box (4 c.) Dry Medium Shell Macaroni (cook according to package instructions, rinse with cold water and set aside to drain)
3-4 Stalks Celery, chopped
1 Cucumber, quartered lengthwise and sliced in 1/4-3/8 inch wide pieces (I like English Burpless Cucumbers with the peelings on if available, but I've peeled the cucumber, too)
2 c. Red Seedless Grapes, halved
1-2 c. Grated Colby-Jack or Pepper Jack Cheese
1-2 c. Dorothy Lynch Salad Dressing
Romaine Lettuce (optional)
Fresh-ground Black Pepper to taste

Place all the salad ingredients in a large serving bowl. Pour 1 cup of the salad dressing over the rest of the ingredients and gently toss until everything is coated, adding more dressing as needed to desired taste and smoothness. Chill and serve in a large bowl or over Romaine lettuce on individual plates. I like to serve this with kettle-cooked potato chips on the side. Approximately 6 servings. Prep. time: 30 minutes.

Also--this is just a standard recipe--I encourage creativity in exploring more fruits and vegetables to add. I've added apples in the past. Fresh pineapple might be good, too.


Dorothy Lynch Salad Dressing

1 c. Sugar (or 2/3 c. Honey)
1 tsp. Celery Seed
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Black Pepper
1 c. Salad Oil
1 tsp. Dry Mustard
1/2 c. White Vinegar
1 can Tomato Soup

Blend in blender. Store in refrigerator.

We love this dressing! We use it in crab salads and as a table salad dressing, too. It's also a delicious condiment for meats--works great as a BBQ sauce for grilling.