Chicken Apple New Years Luck (Printable Format)

Delight in tender chicken, crisp apples, black-eyed peas, and tangy honey-mustard in a fresh salad.

# What's Needed:

→ Protein & Legumes

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded
02 - 1 1/2 cups cooked black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

→ Produce

03 - 2 medium apples (Fuji or Honeycrisp), cored and diced
04 - 1 cup celery, finely sliced
05 - 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
06 - 4 cups mixed salad greens (arugula, spinach, baby kale)
07 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

→ Dressing

08 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
09 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
10 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
11 - 1 tablespoon honey
12 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
13 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Optional Garnishes

14 - 1/4 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped
15 - 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese (omit for dairy-free)

# How To Make It:

01 - Whisk olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl until emulsified. Set aside.
02 - In a large salad bowl, mix cooked chicken, black-eyed peas, diced apples, celery, red onion, and parsley.
03 - Incorporate mixed salad greens and toss gently to combine all ingredients evenly.
04 - Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss carefully until all components are evenly coated.
05 - Top with toasted pecans or walnuts and crumbled feta cheese if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It turns good-luck tradition into something you actually crave, not just eat out of superstition.
  • The sweet crunch of apples against savory chicken and earthy peas feels like a happy accident every time.
  • You can make it with whatever you have left from holiday cooking and it still tastes intentional.
  • It holds up beautifully on a buffet table while everyone lingers over coffee and resolutions.
02 -
  • If you dress the salad too early, the greens will wilt and the apples will weep, so toss everything together only when you're ready to eat.
  • Rinsing the black-eyed peas thoroughly gets rid of that tinny canned taste and makes them taste like you cooked them yourself.
  • Toasting the nuts transforms them from an afterthought into the best part of every bite, so don't skip that step even if you're in a hurry.
03 -
  • Dice the apples just before you're ready to toss the salad so they don't oxidize and turn brown, or toss them in a little lemon juice if you need to prep ahead.
  • If you want the red onion milder, soak the slices in ice water for ten minutes, then drain and pat dry before adding them in.
  • Taste the dressing on a leaf of greens or a piece of apple before you commit, it's easier to adjust before everything is mixed than to fix an over-dressed salad.
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