Autumn Kale Salad with Chicken
A healthy, fall kale salad with roasted butternut squash, apples, pecans and goat cheese with chicken made with a maple-Dijon vinaigrette.
Fall Kale Salad with Chicken
This healthy fall chopped salad combines the warm flavors of fall into a light, crisp and refreshing chopped salad. Rotisserie chicken is an easy protein, and the only way to cook it is to roast butternut squash. And since kale is nutritious and won’t wilt in the fridge, it’s a great make-ahead food. Other fall salad recipes you’ll love are Harvest Kale Salad with Winter Squash, Fall Brussels Sprout Salad with Apples, and Turkey Harvest Cobb Salad.
Why This Chicken Kale Salad Works
- Delicious: This Kale Salad with Chicken recipe combines many flavors and textures to create a salad you’ll want to eat all fall long. Each ingredient adds something different: tart Craisins, crisp apples, creamy goat cheese, hearty kale, sweet butternut squash, juicy chicken, and crunchy pecans.
- High Protein: Chicken, nuts, butternut and cheese provide protein, each providing 30 grams of protein.
- Healthy: In addition to the significant amount of protein, this salad is rich in a variety of vitamins and minerals thanks to all the fruits and vegetables. Plus, it has 8.5 grams of fiber and only 504 calories.
- gluten free: If you’re gluten-free, don’t miss this salad! Not all ingredients naturally contain gluten.
- Go ahead: Kale salad is perfect for meal preparation because it doesn’t get soggy. Make the salad once and enjoy it for lunch over the next few days.
Harvest Salad Ingredients
- butternut squash: Cut 12 ounces butternut into 1/2-inch cubes. To save time, buy pre-cut squash from the supermarket.
- olive oil Drizzling Squash Before Roasting
- Fall Kale Salad Vinaigrette: Olive oil, salt, pepper, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard
- Cauliflower: You will need five cups of chopped kale.
- Apple: My favorite apples for kale salad are crisp, sweet ones, like Honeycrisp or Pink Lady. Cut the apples into pieces just before serving.
- Pecans: Toast and chop 1/3 cup pecans.
- Dry Fruits: Use dried cranberries or golden raisins.
- Cock: Buy a rotisserie chicken and cut the breast meat into pieces. If you have leftover chicken or want to cook your own, choose this one.
- goat cheese: Sprinkle two ounces goat cheese over the salad.
How to Make Kale Salad with Chicken
- butternut squash: Toss the squash with one teaspoon oil, one-half teaspoon kosher salt, and one-eighth teaspoon black pepper. Spread it out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast at 400°F for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Massage Kale: Drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil on the kale and massage it for about three minutes to soften it.
- Apple Cider Vinaigrette: Whisk in the apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, and remaining salt and pepper. Gradually add olive oil, mixing until dissolved.
- Assemble the Salad: Divide the massaged kale among four bowls. Top with quartered roasted butternuts, chopped apples, pecans, crepes, chicken and goat cheese. Finish each salad with 1 1/2 Tbsp.
shift
- Squash: Substitute butternut squash for sweet potatoes or acorn squash.
- Protein: Substitute chicken with salmon or deli turkey.
- Cheese: Use goat cheese in place of feta or blue cheese.
- dairy free: Skip the goat cheese.
- Apple: Replace apple with pear.
- Dry Fruits: Sub apricots, dates, or raisins.
- Nuts: Use walnuts or almonds instead of pecans.
- vinegar: Replace the apple cider vinegar with balsamic or white vinegar.
- Sweetener: Replace maple with honey or agave.
Best Types of Kale for Salads
The two main types of kale are lacinato kale (also known as dinosaur or tuscan kale) and curly kale. Because lacinato is more tender, it is better for salads.
Massage Kale for Salad
Massaging kale is essential for salads! This breaks down the tough leaves, making them more palatable. Simply drizzle a little oil or dressing over the kale and massage for a few minutes until it turns dark green and soft.
Does kale get soggy in dressing?
Kale is a hearty leafy green for salads that doesn’t get soggy when coated in dressing. It actually becomes more tender the longer it sits in the dressing, making it perfect for meal prep or serving at parties.
How to Prepare Kale Salad
This Easy Kale Salad with Chicken will keep for up to four days if you make the salad the same day you buy the rotisserie chicken. Cooked chicken only lasts about four days in the refrigerator, so if your chicken is older, eat the salad quickly. For a fresh salad, store it in an airtight container and wait to add the pecans and apples until just before eating.
More Kale Salad Recipes You’ll Love
Yield: 4 servings
serving size: 1 salad
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Mix butternuts with 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 30 to 40 minutes or until soft.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the kale with 1 teaspoon olive oil. To soften the kale, massage it with oil for about 3 minutes.
- To make the vinaigrette, whisk the vinegar, syrup, and mustard with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. As you beat, slowly add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and beat until dissolved.
- Just before serving, cut apples into approximately ½-inch pieces.
- To assemble the salad, divide the prepped kale among 4 bowls. Top with roasted butternuts, chopped apples, pecans, croissants, chicken and crumbled goat cheese.
- Drizzle vinaigrette over entire bowls, about 1 1/2 tablespoons each.
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to serve: 1 salad, Calories: 504 kilo calorie, Carbohydrates: 38 Yes, Protein: 30 Yes, thick: 27 Yes, Saturated fat: 6 Yes, Cholesterol: 70.5 MG, Sodium: 514.5 MG, Fiber: 8.5 Yes, Sugar: 17.5 Yes
