Mimi's Curried Hawaiian Chicken Salad

My mother Joyce, who my children call 'Mimi,' is a great Southern cook and has many legendary recipes. This is one of her crowd pleasers. She's been making this very traditional 'lady-like' chicken salad for as long as I can remember. It's best the day after making, and is colorful and fragrant and perfect for a summer supper -- or a ladies' luncheon!

Ingredients

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 3 cups mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 ½ cups slivered almonds, toasted
• 1 pound seedless green grapes, halved
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts
• 1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, thoroughly drained
• paprika, for garnish

Steps

1. Place chicken in a large pot of lightly salted water, and bring to a boil; simmer until tender and cooked through, about 25 minutes. Drain, set aside. When cool enough to handle, chop coarsely, and place into a large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, stir together mayonnaise, curry powder, lemon juice, and soy sauce.
3. Stir into the chopped chicken 2 1/4 cups of the toasted almonds. Stir in grapes, celery, water chestnuts, and pineapple. Gently fold in all but 1/2 cup of the dressing. Cover, and refrigerate salad and reserved dressing for several hours (or overnight).
4. Before serving, adjust dressing to taste, and garnish with paprika and remaining 1/4 cup almonds.