Chicken Apple Winter Salad (Print View)

A hearty blend of chicken, apples, pecans, and apple cider dressing to brighten winter meals.

# Components:

→ Salad

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
02 - 2 crisp apples (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

# Directions:

01 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together apple cider vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper until emulsified. Set aside.
02 - In a large bowl, combine salad greens, shredded chicken, apple slices, celery, pecans, dried cranberries, red onion, and crumbled feta cheese if using.
03 - Drizzle the prepared dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
04 - Serve immediately, garnished with additional pecans or feta cheese as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in 15 minutes with ingredients you probably already have or can grab on your next grocery run.
  • That apple cider dressing strikes the perfect balance between bright and savory—it makes you want another bite.
  • It's the kind of salad that tastes elegant enough to serve friends but casual enough to eat straight from the bowl while standing at the kitchen counter.
02 -
  • Don't dress the salad more than 15 minutes before eating, or the greens will wilt and the apples will weep their juice into the bottom of the bowl.
  • If you're making this ahead, keep the dressing separate and dress it right before serving—this one trick makes the difference between a sad salad and a vibrant one.
03 -
  • Slice your apples right before assembling so they don't oxidize and turn brown—a squeeze of lemon juice helps if you need to prep them ahead.
  • Toast your pecans in a dry skillet for 3 to 4 minutes before chopping them; it brings out an almost chocolate-like depth that transforms the salad.
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