Chicken salad with rocket, goat cheese and apple slices.
Once, many years ago, my mother decided to plant arugula in the garden. What she didn’t know at the time is that arugula will reseed itself and, if not tended, will take over any acreage within reach.
My mom is more of a “visionary” when it comes to gardens, which explains why when I took over the garden beds were completely covered in arugula, everything else was smothered years ago.
In autumn, after the first rains, the first rocket baby leaves appear. The apples are ripening and the walnuts are falling off the trees at about the same time, so mixing them all up in one salad just makes sense!
This is an easy fall salad. The creaminess of the goat cheese pairs beautifully with peppery arugula, chicken, apples and walnuts.
For more information on apple varieties, see our guide to apples.
Chicken Apple Arugula Goat Cheese Salad
ingredients
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2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the dressing
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1 large shallot, peeled and sliced
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1 1/2 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
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Salt
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1 tart green apple, thinly sliced and roughly chopped
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Baby Arugula Leaves – Enough for a salad for four
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1/4 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
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1/4 cup goat cheese – broken into small pieces
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lemon juice
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salt and pepper
method
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Sauté shallots:
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet without chopsticks over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the shallot slices and sauté lightly until translucent. Remove the shallots from the pan and set aside.
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Fry chicken pieces:
Heat another tablespoon of olive oil in the pan and when the oil is hot add the chicken breast pieces. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle some salt on the chicken while you cook it. Remove from the pan and chill.
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Assemble the salad:
When the chicken has cooled, combine the shallots, chicken, sliced green apple, arugula, toasted walnuts, and goat cheese in a serving bowl.
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Dressing with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper:
taste.
