Chicken Apple Winter Salad (Print)

A hearty mix of chicken, crisp apples, pecans, and tangy apple cider dressing in a refreshing winter salad.

# Ingredients:

→ Salad

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
02 - 2 crisp apples, cored and sliced
03 - 4 cups mixed salad greens (arugula, spinach, romaine)
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

# Directions:

01 - Whisk together apple cider vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, sea salt, and black pepper in a small bowl until fully incorporated.
02 - In a large bowl, mix 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 toss gently to ensure even coating.
04 - Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with additional pecans or feta as desired; serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes fancy enough for guests but honest enough to make on a Tuesday with whatever's in your fridge.
  • The warm spice of mustard and tang of apple cider vinegar wake up your palate in a way store-bought dressings never do.
  • You can have it on the table in fifteen minutes, which means more time for whatever comes after dinner.
02 -
  • Don't dress the salad too early if you plan to eat it later—the greens will wilt and the apples will brown, which teaches you quickly to work in stages.
  • The magic isn't in any single ingredient; it's the balance of sweet, tart, salty, and bitter all talking to each other, so taste as you go and trust your instincts more than the recipe.
03 -
  • Keep your apple cider vinegar bottle in the pantry—it's worth having on hand for salads, roasted vegetables, and moments when you want to add brightness to almost anything.
  • If you're bringing this somewhere, pack the dressing separately and dress it just before serving so the greens stay crisp and the apples don't brown.
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