Chicken Apple Salad

5 from 5 votes

Chicken Apple Salad with zesty homemade garlic parmesan vinaigrette salad dressing. Fresh greens, walnuts, and feta make this salad a complete lunch or dinner.

Prep Time15

Total Time15

Course: Dressing, Salad, Salad Dressing

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 506kcal

Author: Jayne and Cyndy ~ The Art of Food and Wine

Equipment

mini food processor or whisk

Ingredients

Parmesan Garlic Dressing

1 oz white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar (2 Tbsp)
1 oz red wine vinegar (2 Tbsp)
½ teaspoon celery seed
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon dried tarragon (or 2 tsp fresh)
1 clove fresh garlic (or ½ tsp garlic powder)
1 anchovy fillet, packed in oil (optional)
3 shots Tabasco
2 Tablespoons Parmesan or Romano cheese, shredded or grated
4 oz extra virgin olive oil
1 pinch salt to taste
1 pinch black pepper, freshly ground to taste

Chicken Apple Salad

6 ounces cooked chicken breast, boneless, skinless cut into pieces or shredded
8 cups green, butter, red, or mixed leaf lettuce torn into bite-size pieces
1 large Apple, Fuji, Honeycrisp, or Red Delicious cut into bite-size pieces
½ cup feta, crumbled, or blue cheese/goat cheese
⅓ cup walnuts or pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
½ cup Dressing (recipe above) or more to taste

Instructions

Making the Dressing:

In a small food processor or blender add the first 9 ingredients (white vinegar through Tabasco) and blend well. Alternately, whisk in a bowl until smooth
Add Parmesan and blend until pureed (If hand whisking make sure to use finely shredded or grated Parmesan)
Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, little by little, and blend until emulsified. Test for flavor and add salt and pepper to taste.
If not using immediately store in a tightly sealed glass jar in the refrigerator.
Always shake well before serving.

Preparing the Salad:

Chop the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces (or shred). Set aside.
Core and cut the apple into bite-sized pieces (no need to peel it). Set aside.
If desired, toast the nuts, cool, and roughly chop. Crumble the cheese.
In a large bowl combine the two lettuces, add the chicken pieces, nuts, and cheese. Toss gently.
Drizzle on the dressing, toss to combine and serve.

Notes

Dressing recipe makes 2/3 cup
Anchovy is optional, but highly recommended for flavor
We use Tabasco, but any hot sauce will work
This dressing will keep for 14 days, sealed in the refrigerator

Nutrition