If you’re like me, by about the 20th of December your taste buds and belly start feeling very saturated…overloaded on dips, spreads, cakes, sauces, sweets, cookies, rich and chocolatey everything! Maybe that’s why we make New Year’s resolutions. We have to somehow stop the December madness!
Well, here’s a little gem that will slow down the food frenzy right now, before the belt-loosening, cavity-creating, food-coma-inducing craziness really takes hold. Christmas Chicken Salad is simply a lovely, colorful, delicious green salad, with plenty of protein to keep you hopping to all those December events you’ve penciled in on your calendar. But it’s also refreshingly light and healthy!
Bright, juicy pomegranates and cinnamon-sugar toasted pecans give this simple salad a fun holiday twist, and it’s easy enough to whip up at the last minute for those relatives or friends who just happened to pop in at dinnertime! It’s also the perfect opener for Aunt Marge’s traditional ham-and-au-gratin potatoes dinner. (Not that there’s anything wrong with ham and cheesy potatoes!) Pick up the phone and call her right now, and offer to bring the salad!
Hooray! Healthy dinner idea…check! ✓ Food assignment for the family dinner…check! ✓ Holiday gifts all bought and wrapped…check?
Well, two out of three isn’t bad 😉
Ingredients
- 5 cups baby kale or favorite greens
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken (we use a rotisserie chicken)
- 1 red or green apple
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1/2 cup gorgonzola or bleu cheese
- 3/4 cup pecans
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
- ½ Tbsp. honey
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup. water
- Pinch of salt
- Generous dash of cinnamon
Instructions
- Wash kale, if needed, and place in large bowl
- Cube chicken.
- Peel (optional) and chop apple.
- Cut cheese into bite-sized pieces.
- Place pecans in saucepan over medium-low heat. Add sugar and cinnamon and heat until sugar has melted and coated nuts. Allow to cool.
- Toss together with kale and drizzle with dressing before serving.
- Put all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Adjust seasonings as needed.
4 Comments
Loving the red, white, & green!
Kari
http://sweetteasweetie.com/honey-bunches-oats-almond-treats/
Kari, so festive, right? (and easy!) Hope you love it! Happy Holidays!
How pretty is this salad?! It’s the perfect antidote to all the heavy, sugary, fatty holiday foods. Definitely pinning for later!
Thank you, Valentina! I agree…you need a good salad by about this time in December! (The dressing is divine, btw. I could probably drink it.) Cheers!