Description
Light summer salads find perfection in this chicken apple walnut salad, blending sweet and savory notes with crisp textures. Refreshing ingredients from Mediterranean cuisine combine elegantly, offering you a delightful meal that satisfies both hunger and culinary curiosity.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2.5 cups (590 ml) spinach or spring mix greens
- 0.5 cup (118 ml) grilled chicken breast, cubed
- 0.5 cup (118 ml) apple, cubed
- 0.5 cup (118 ml) red seedless grapes, sliced in half
- 0.33 cup (79 ml) candied walnuts
- 1 stalk celery, sliced
- 1 tbsp red onion, finely diced
- 2 tbsps apple cider vinegar
- 0.25 cup (59 ml) canola oil
- 2 tbsps honey or agave
- 2 tbsps apple sauce
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 0.5 shallot, minced
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch pepper
Instructions
- Prepare Greens: Create a lush, vibrant base using mixed salad greens spread evenly across a large serving platter.
- Add Protein Layer: Arrange grilled chicken breast slices atop the greens, creating a substantial and appetizing foundation.
- Incorporate Fresh Elements: Distribute diced apples, halved grapes, sliced celery, and delicate red onion rings across the salad surface to introduce varied textures and flavors.
- Enhance with Crunch: Generously sprinkle candied walnuts throughout the salad, adding a delightful sweet-nutty crispness.
- Craft Dressing: Blend olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and freshly ground black pepper in a bowl or food processor until smooth and well-integrated.
- Finish and Serve: Drizzle the prepared dressing over the salad moments before serving, ensuring an even coating that complements the ingredients’ natural flavors while maintaining the greens’ crisp texture.
Notes
- Optimize Chicken Preparation: Grill or pan-sear chicken at medium-high heat to lock in moisture and create delicious caramelized edges for enhanced flavor profile.
- Master Fruit Selection: Choose crisp, slightly tart apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp to provide balanced acidity and prevent browning by tossing in lemon juice.
- Elevate Walnut Crunch: Toast walnuts briefly in a dry skillet to intensify nutty flavors and create a more robust, deeper taste before candying.
- Dressing Emulsion Trick: Whisk dressing ingredients gradually and consistently to prevent separation, ensuring a smooth, well-integrated vinaigrette that coats salad ingredients evenly.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch
- Method: None
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3
- Calories: 367
- Sugar: 21 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 25 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg