Yes… we did it! First full work week of 2009 is coming to an end. Happy Friday Zesty readers! I have been craving a salad for a long time now as it feels I have have not had green leafy vegetables since long before the Christmas holidays.
So for that I give you the Summer Chicken Salad in the Winter. Most of the ingredients remind me of the summer but when fresh they still taste delicious in January. I wanted to switch it up a bit and fool my taste buds. To do that I went with toasted pecans, mozzarella cheese and a kicked up low fat homemade yogurt dressing.
Interested? I hope so! Check it out and let me know if this would be welcome at your table. But before you do, be sure to sign up for a great book giveaway.
Ingredients
For the ingredients, I left out the measurements as it totally depends on what you have on hand and how much salad you would like to make.- Mixed Greens
- Cucumber
- Tomatoes
- Toasted Chopped Pecans
- Blocked Mozzarella Cheese
- Left-over cooked chicken
- 1/2 Cup Plain Low-Fat Yogurt
- 1 Tbsp. Honey
- 1/8 Tsp. Cracked Black Pepper
- Juice of a lemon
Method
- Chop up all the ingredients.
- Place in a bowl.
- Toss together.
- Get a jar to prepare the dressing.
- Add yogurt, honey, pepper and lemon juice to the jar, place the lid on it and shake it like a Polaroid picture until smooth.
- Drizzle dressing over salad.
- ENJOY!
Zesty Tip: To preserve left over salad, it is best you just dress the salad in individual portions. If you dress the salad in it’s entirety, the greens will become limp and wet over time in the refrigerator. As a result, it will no longer have the crisp texture you are looking for.
Question of the day:
Do you like nuts and cheese on your salads? I need to know! Fill me in and speak your mind. Have a great Friday and a fun filled weekend. See ya back here on Monday.
Take care
zesty
{ 37 comments… read them below or add one }
Absolutely. It took me till I was a bit more grown up but I love them. Espcially pine nuts and gorgonzola cheese!
Hi Cory!
Wonderful salad fresh and full of taste!
For sure I like a lot nuts and cheese on salads, they give them new dimensions
Have a great weekend!
Gera .:. sweetsfoods
I love a good fresh mozzarella cheese and egg whites in my salad!
I love nuts (esp. candied) and cheese – and I haven’t had blocked cheese on a salad in ages. I used to love that!
What a fantastic salad! So many great tastes in this one! Love it Zesty!
Thanks for the step-by-step instructions – I always need those.
Nuts and cheese are fine on a salad for me – but only on occasion, not all the time.
Thanks looks so good. I love me some nuts and cheese on my salad.
Nothing wrong with some good ol chicken salad ANY TIME of the year. Love it!
I like pretty much anything in my salad. So YES to cheese and nuts! I don’t use them in salads very often (except goat or feta, they find themselves into my salads quite regularly) but when I do I’m never disappointed!
ooooooh! Yummy!!!!
Nuts, cheese, dried cranberries…yum! I love all sorts of stuff on my salad and this one looks yummy. Can’t wait to try that dressing!
GREAT PHOTOS! The salad looks awesome!
Nuts and cheese in salad? But of course. How about broccoli salad with crumbled feta and toasted hazelnuts plus some baby spinach leaves and a balsamic dressing. Yum, yum, yum.
I love nuts and cheese on my salads. I also like dried fruit.
A. Salad looks kickin. I need more greens in my life too as I’ve been eating way too many heavy winter foods lately. Bring it!
B. Love the salad dressing recipe.
C. Love nuts and cheese in my salads. Favorite combo is bleu cheese crumbles and walnuts. YUM!
What a well explained post. I think we all need something like this after the holidays!
Nuts and cheese on salad? YES! Chopped pecans or walnuts with anything from feta to Parmesan. I love to toss baby spinach with pecans, feta, and berries (blackberries and strawberries) with lemon vinaigrette. Oh!
This looks awesome Zesty!! I love salads
LOVE nuts and cheese in my salad–also seeds, raisins, cranberries, apples, pears, oranges–basically I love lots of different things.
How could anyone get sick of salad when there are so many different combinations one could make?
Thanks everyone for your nice comments. It seems like everyone is in agreement regarding the nuts and cheese. I was looking for walnuts… and i couldn’t find them.
@kath – I do love candied nuts as well
@patricia – I really like fruit in salads as well
I LOVE cheese and dried cranberries on my salad. I could live without the nuts, and often do because they usually range above my budget. I’m never tried toasted nuts, but I hear they can really make a salad.
I love to top my salad(s) with sunflower seeds and raisins. Something sweet, something salty…crispy and chewy. My tastebuds sing!:)A little provolone sharp cheese also adds to make a delicious combination of flavor…but I’m anxious to make your salad!Especially your dressing… Not only does it look sooo good on top of spring greens and chicken, it also looks very easy to make and with the simplest ingredients too!:)
Pls let me know how do u cook the leftover chicken?
I love nuts and cheese on my salad! I’ve been making a lot of salad recently too, experimenting with walnut and hazelnut oils.
Zesty,
I love this type of salad! I have been living on salads since the new year, since all of my pants are getting wayyyyy to tight!
I LOVE nuts on salads and cheese is okay, I don’t like any of the moldy cheeses. My husbands doesn’t like either on salad, but LOVES salad. He also doesn’t think any fruit should be on a salad. Weirdo! I love fruit on salads! You salad here looks great!
mm, I could totally go for that salad (minus the pecans) right now! By the way – I just added you to my blogroll!
YuM!! I love a good salad anytime of the year!! Cheese are a must have…nuts I could do without (not a big fan of them).
Laura
I love salads anytime of the year!
Oh, this looks good! Thanks Zesty!
i love nuts and cheese in my salad! walnuts are my fav, but i like pecans, too. for cheese, i loooooove soft goat cheese, but sometimes i have parm (when i am sharing a salad with my honey, who doesn’t like goat cheese).
this salad sounds sooo good. it’s actually a bit like something i make: i shred some chicken and mix it with spices and greek yogurt, then serve it on top of a mixed green and apple salad.
@Rajee – For this particular chicken salad – the salad was cold from the fridge, however it was just baked in the oven with a egg wash and flour coating on it with some thyme and black pepper as seasoning.
@melissa sue – thanks for the kind words…. I too love goat cheese and your salad idea sounds super good. I will definitely try that technique. Thanks for sharing
I like both cheese and nuts on my salad. It add great flavors and extra proteins.
Depending what I have on hand will determine if I add nuts or cheese. I had cashews on hand so my salad with dinner tonight had them
The salad looks great! I love cheese and nuts on my salad!! Especially goat cheese!!!
http://www.missymaintains.blogspot.com
I have been craving a chicken salad with yogurt dressing all day! hahaha I was just contemplating going to order one from Daphne’s Greek Cafe next door and then saw your blog post! looks delish!
I think that the best salads have a little stinky cheese, a little roasted nuts, and some fruit/sweet veggie!
I rarely do entree salads in the winter, but this one looks like a winner!
Yes! I almost always have nuts on my salad. And I also do seeds, sunflower and pumpkin.
My salads need to have lots of crunch and texture.