All too often, chopped salads wind up tasting mediocre and doused in dressing. We were set on creating a simple version that was fresh and flavorful.
We settled on a mix of flavors and textures, selecting cucumber, fennel, apples and romaine. Red onion added a bit of sharpness, and a modest amount of crumbled goat cheese offered a creamy textural contrast. We lightly salted the cucumber to remove excess moisture, allowing it to drain in a colander.
Poaching the chicken in a steamer basket enabled us to use no extra fat. Once the chicken cooled, we cut the breasts into chunks and combined the pieces with the other salad ingredients.
We decided to whisk the goat cheese into the dressing in place of some of the oil, and also found that marinating the heartier ingredients in the dressing for just five minutes before adding the romaine infused every component with flavor while still keeping it fresh and light. Use any sweet apple here, such as Fuji, Jonagold, Pink Lady, Jonathan, Macoun, or Gala.
FENNEL, APPLE AND CHICKEN CHOPPED SALAD
Servings: 4
Start to finish: 1 hour, 45 minutes
1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced 1/2 inch thick
Salt and pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of all visible fat and pounded to 3/4 inch thickness
3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (3/4 cup)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup minced fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 Fuji, Gala, or Golden Delicious apples, cored, quartered, and sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
1 fennel bulb, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1 romaine lettuce heart (6 ounces), cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Nutrition information per serving: 359 calories; 112 calories from fat; 12 g fat (5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 109 mg cholesterol; 477 mg sodium; 29 g carbohydrate; 7 g fiber; 20 g sugar; 32 g protein.
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