Chicken Apple Winter Salad (Printable View)

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

# What You'll Need:

→ Salad

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

# How To Make It:

01 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together apple cider vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and black pepper until fully combined. Set aside.
02 - In a large bowl, mix salad greens, chicken, apple slices, celery, pecans, dried cranberries, red onion, and feta cheese if using.
03 - Pour the prepared dressing over the salad and toss gently to evenly coat all ingredients.
04 - Serve immediately, optionally garnished with extra pecans or a light sprinkle of feta cheese.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in 15 minutes, which means weeknight dinner or next-day lunch without the fuss.
  • The dressing tastes sophisticated but uses ingredients you probably already have hiding in your pantry.
  • Leftover chicken transforms into something that doesn't feel like leftovers at all.
02 -
  • Slice your apples just before serving or toss them with a squeeze of lemon juice—they brown faster than you'd think, and gray apples kill the whole vibe.
  • If you're making this ahead, keep the dressing separate and dress the salad only when you're about to eat it; soggy greens are nobody's idea of a good time.
03 -
  • Taste your dressing before it goes on the salad and adjust the honey or salt on the spot—this thirty-second step prevents a bland salad.
  • If you're cooking chicken specifically for this, poach it gently so it stays tender; overcooked chicken turns the whole thing from elegant to sad.
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