As the nights get colder and the daytime sky turns a bright autumnal blue, I start craving apples, pecans, and blue cheese. Something in this mix says “fall” to my senses.
I used these ingredients, along with chicken, to create two salad recipes you’ll want to make again and again this season.
The first is a big green salad with chicken, lots of toppings, and honey mustard dressing. The second is a delicious seasonal update to the classic chicken mayonnaise salad.
Butter lettuce topped with chicken, apple, celery, pickled onions, blue cheese, pecans, and honey mustard dressing.
Many of the same ingredients are used in the classic chicken salad: chicken, apple, celery, pecans, blue cheese, honey mustard dressing, and mayonnaise.
Fall salad with lettuce, butter, chicken, pecans, and blue cheese
You’ll want to make this salad again and again this season!
ingredients
- 1 head Butter lettuce I love Kroger’s Simple Organic Butter Lettuce.
- 1 Chicken breast Or 1½ cup grilled chicken. For the chicken, I used Kroger’s Simple Truth Organic Boneless, Air Chilled Chicken.
- 1/2 cup Pecans
- 1/2 cup celery Chopped
- 1/2 cup Pickled onions
- 1/2 cup Gorgonzola or blue cheese
- 1 Apple with honey
Honey mustard flavour
- 2 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 Tablespoon mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoon honey
- 1 small spoon White vinegar
- black pepper To taste
directions
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Cook one chicken breast on the grill or in a skillet. Or use a cup and a half of grilled chicken.
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Using a large head of lettuce, divide it between two bowls. Cut the lettuce by hand into smaller pieces.
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Add half the chicken to each salad.
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Cut the apples into slices as you wish, depending on the size of the apple, and add them to every salad.
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Chop one stalk of celery and add 1/4 cup to each salad.
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Place 1/2 cup of pecans in a plastic bag and tap them gently with the back of a spoon or food container to break up the pecans slightly. Then add half to each salad.
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Add 1/4 cup Gorgonzola or blue cheese to each salad.
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Add pickled onions to each salad (if you don’t have some on hand, thinly slice the red onion and place it in a jar or glass bowl. Boil 1 cup vinegar (apple or white), 1 cup water, and 1/4 cup sugar. And a tablespoon of salt, then pour this mixture over the red onions to cover them completely. If you do this when starting this salad and put the onions on the salad last, it will have a pickled taste, but it is best after sitting in the vinegar mixture for at least an hour). You can use thinly sliced red onions, not pickled, as an alternative.
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Whisk the honey mustard ingredients.
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Pour desired amount over each salad.
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salt and pepper as needed.
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Enjoy!
feed
Calories: 665CaloriesCarbohydrates: 41gprotein: 36gfat: 42gSaturated fat: 10gUnsaturated fats: 13gMonounsaturated fats: 16gUnsaturated fats: 0.04gCholesterol: 104mgsodium: 801mgPotassium: 1058mgFiber: 7gsugar: 31gVitamin A: 3188international unitVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 266mgiron: 3mg
Sharjah Biennial advice: To cut red onions, or any vegetables, into thin slices, a mandoline is the perfect solution. If you don’t have one, I highly suggest purchasing one always Using a safety guard. This kitchen tool is a must have. My favorite is the OXO brand, on sale here for $71.98. OXO also makes a portable version for quick needs for just $18.99.
Over time, I also found that I preferred thin, flexible cutting boards for all that cutting. They are easy to clean and move. It also makes placing cut items in the bowl more efficient, as it bends to create a waterfall directly into the bowl! This 8-piece set (which comes in various sizes for under $20) was found on Amazon and is a huge kitchen helper.
Now, on to the next fall salad recipe:
A fall version of the classic chicken salad
This version of chicken salad is best served over lettuce because it does not “stick” together like other chicken salads. If you prefer it on a sandwich, replace the mayonnaise with honey mustard and add a tablespoon of honey instead. Mayonnaise acts as a better binder for ingredients than honey mustard.
ingredients
- 3 Glasses A chick This is approximately the equivalent of two chicken breasts
- 1 cup Chopped celery
- 1 cup Chopped apple
- ¼ cup Yellow onion cut into cubes
- ¼ cup Gorgonzola or blue cheese
- ¼ cup Chopped pecans
- ¼ cup Honey mustard flavour
- ½ cup Duke mayonnaise
- Salt and Pepper To taste
directions
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Cut two chicken breasts into three cups of meat. Or use 3 cups of grilled chicken. Add to a large bowl.
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Chop celery, apple and pecans. Add to the same bowl.
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Cut the onion into cubes and add it to the bowl.
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Add 1/4 cup of blue cheese.
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Add 1/4 cup honey mustard sauce and 1/2 cup mayonnaise.
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Mix all ingredients together. Add some salt and pepper to taste.
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It is best to leave it for at least 20 minutes for the flavors to blend.
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Serve and enjoy!
feed
Calories: 1639CaloriesCarbohydrates: 54gprotein: 43gfat: 138gSaturated fat: 28gUnsaturated fats: 62gMonounsaturated fats: 43gUnsaturated fats: 0.4gCholesterol: 194mgsodium: 1608mgPotassium: 983mgFiber: 8gsugar: 30gVitamin A: 1095international unitVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 281mgiron: 3mg
Enjoy!
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Lisa Graves