Chicken, Pecan, Apple Salad

This healthy and delicious Chicken, Pecan, Apple Salad consists of lean protein, crunchy pecans, and sweet and crispy apples and peppers. All ingredients can be added to a single bowl and coated in reduced-fat sour cream – ready to be served on a bed of your favorite mixed greens!

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CHICKEN, PECAN, APPLE SALAD

Chicken, pecan, apple salad is an incredibly easy salad to make – simply mix all of the ingredients together and serve on your favorite mix of greens!

This salad has a delicious contrast of savory and sweet flavor with chunks of chicken, juicy sweet apple and peppers, crunchy pecans, and a reduced-fat sour cream.

This salad offers a healthy meal with protein, healthy fats, and a great source of dietary fiber. 

HOW SHOULD I STORE THIS CHICKEN, PECAN, APPLE SALAD?

Any leftover salad mixture should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. You should stir the mixture before serving, as sour cream could have separated slightly in storage.

I don’t recommend freezing this salad as some of the salad ingredients won’t hold up to the freezing and thawing without the texture of the ingredients being affected.

HOW DO I SERVE THIS CHICKEN, PECAN, APPLE SALAD?

This salad is intended to be served over a bed of your favorite mixed spring greens, but you could also serve it in lettuce leaves as a chicken salad wrap, or you could serve it as a delicious filling in traditional flour tortillas or as a spread on sandwiches and rolls.

Leftover chicken salad mixture could also be enjoyed as a delicious dip alongside crackers.

WHAT VARIATIONS CAN I MAKE TO CHICKEN, PECAN, APPLE SALAD?

• Instead of chicken, make this salad with leftover turkey.
• Chicken tenders have been used in this salad recipe. You could also use chicken breast, cut down to size. Shredded chicken is another great option for this salad.
• For a kick of heat, add cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, or chili powder to the salad.
• Reduced-fat sour cream is a healthy choice for this chicken salad. Full-fat sour cream, Greek yogurt, or mayonnaise (regular or lite mayonnaise) could also be used.
• Add other salad ingredients for a crunchy texture to this salad, such as shredded carrot, chopped celery, or diced bell peppers.
• You can omit the pecans if you have nut allergies or use different nuts for variation.

WHAT CAN I PAIR WITH THIS SALAD?

This healthy and delicious chicken, pecan, apple salad can be enjoyed as is or alongside grilled or roasted vegetables, your favorite grains, or bread and crackers.

TIPS FOR MAKING CHICKEN, PECAN, APPLE SALAD

• Consider serving this chicken salad over baby spinach, arugula, and romaine lettuce.
• For convenience, use leftover shredded chicken or a rotisserie chicken chopped down to size.
• For added depth of flavor, toast the pecans before combining them with the other salad ingredients.
• Dried fruit, such as dried cranberries and raisins, offer additional texture and sweetness to this chicken salad.
• Allow this chicken, pecan, apple salad to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving. This will allow the flavors to meld together.