Chicken Apple Winter Salad (Printable)

A hearty mix of chicken, apples, pecans, and crisp greens with tangy cider dressing.

# Components:

→ Salad

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
02 - 2 crisp apples, cored and sliced
03 - 4 cups mixed salad greens
04 - 1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
05 - 1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
06 - 1/4 cup dried cranberries
07 - 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
08 - 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

→ Apple Cider Dressing

09 - 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
10 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
11 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
12 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
13 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
14 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# Method:

01 - Whisk together apple cider vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, sea salt, and black pepper in a small bowl or jar until fully emulsified.
02 - In a large bowl, toss salad greens, chicken, apple slices, celery, pecans, dried cranberries, red onion, and feta cheese if using.
03 - Drizzle the dressing over the salad mixture and gently toss to ensure even coating.
04 - Transfer to serving plates immediately, optionally garnishing with extra pecans or feta cheese.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in 15 minutes flat, which means lunch solved before you've finished your coffee.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day as the dressing soaks into the greens and everything gets to know each other.
  • The combination of warm spices in the dressing with cold, crisp apples hits a note that makes winter vegetables actually exciting.
02 -
  • Slice your apples close to serving time because they oxidize and brown faster than you'd think, turning the salad from bright to sad in an hour.
  • The dressing keeps for three days in the fridge, but once the apples and greens are coated, eat it within a few hours or the whole thing gets soggy.
03 -
  • Pat your greens completely dry before assembling—wet greens dilute the dressing and make everything taste flat.
  • Warm the dressing jar under hot water before whisking if your kitchen is cold; the warmth helps the honey dissolve and the oil emulsify more smoothly.
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