February 15, 2021

Crispy Apple and Chicken Salad with Gorgonzola Cheese

Crispy Apple and Chicken Salad with Gorgonzola Cheese is one of our favorite winter salads. I start the salad by cooking seasoned chicken breasts. While the chicken cooks, I toast pecans halves, and make a yummy Apple Vinaigrette. I toss all of this with spring greens, dried cranberries, tomatoes, green apples, and crumbled gorgonzola cheese. All together, this makes a terrific main course salad.

The Equipment I Used

A Nonstick Skillet with a Lid- I used a nonstick skillet to cook my chicken. However, I carelessly used a lid that didn’t go with the pan, and when it got hot it expanded and got stuck in the pan. We had to wait for the pan to cool down and use a mallet to free my poor LeCruset lid from the skillet. So, please use a lid that actually goes with your pan.
A Salad Spinner- Use a salad spinner to get your lettuce nice and dry. Dressing can’t cling to wet greens, so make sure your lettuce is dry.
A Big Bowl- By using a big bowl, you can make sure all your dressing will completely cover all your ingredients.
A Jar- I like to put all my dressing ingredients in a small jar. Then, I just need to shake it all up.

The Ingredients Needed for Crispy Apple and Chicken Salad with Gorgonzola Cheese

Chicken- I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe.
Spices- The spices I put on the chicken include: salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder, and paprika.
Oil- In this recipe I use extra virgin olive oil. I like California Olive Oil Ranch olive oil.
Vinegar- I use apple cider vinegar for this recipe.
Lettuce- My preference is Spring greens for salad.
Cheese- For this salad, I use gorgonzola cheese. It adds great flavor to this salad.
Pecans- I like to toast my pecans for this salad. They add terrific crunch.
Apples- My favorite apples are green Granny Smith apples.
Cranberries- Tart dried cranberries add a yummy chewy texture to the salad.

How I Made My Salad

First, I cooked my chicken. I was careful to not burn my chicken while I was searing it.
Next, while the chicken was cooking, I toasted the pecans. I was very careful not to burn these. I also made the salad dressing.
Finally, I tossed all the ingredients together in a big bowl.

Crispy Apple and Chicken Salad with Gorgonzola Cheese

Spring greens topped with spiced chicken breast, apples, tomatoes, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, and gorgonzola cheese. It's all tossed with an apple vinaigrette.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Course Main Course, Salad

Cuisine American

Servings

Ingredients

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¼ tsp. each kosher salt, black pepper, oregano, garlic powder and paprika
½ cup pecan halves
4 cups Spring greens
1 large tomato, cut in wedges
½ cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
2 sliced green apples
½ cup dried cranberries

For the Apple Vinaigrette:

⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp. apple cider
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. honey

Instructions

Begin by making the chicken: Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet on medium heat. Season the chicken with with the salt, pepper, and spices. Brown the chicken for about five minutes on each side. Then, cover the pan and cook the chicken on low heat until cooked through, for about ten minutes. When the chicken is done, cut it into thin slices.
Meanwhile, heat a small skillet on low heat, and cook the pecans until they're toasted, for about five minutes.
Also, make the dressing. Shake all the ingredients together in a small jar.
In a large bowl, toss together all the ingredients. Add as much dressing as you like, and serve.