Apple Pecan Chopped Salad

by Liz Revilla
Vertex Education Ambassador, Nutrition

Prepared by Rima Manomaitis

INGREDIENTS

For the Salad:

15 ounces mixed hearty greens (baby spinach, Swiss chard and/or arugula), roughly chopped
1 large granny smith apple, cored and chopped
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup pecans, chopped (and toasted if desired)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded

For the Dressing:

½ cup apple cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped
1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

In a large mixing bowl, toss together the chopped greens, apple, feta cheese, pecans, and dried cranberries.
Combine the apple cider vinegar, garlic, mustard, maple syrup, salt and pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk well to combine. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.
Toss the salad with half of the dressing. Add more as needed. Top with shredded chicken and season to taste with salt and pepper.

NUTRITIONAL FACTS

Servings: 6
Calories: 425
Protein: 18 grams
Carbohydrates: 24 grams
Fat: 25 grams

CALORIE CONSIDERATIONS

To INCREASE calories: Add an extra 1 ounce feta cheese and 1 Tbsp chopped pecans (+120 calories).
To DECREASE calories: Use half the amount of feta cheese, chopped pecans, and dressing (-100 calories).

TO MAKE THIS GLUTEN FREE:

This is already a gluten-free recipe!

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Did you know….

Apples are 25% air. Apples float in water because a whopping 25% of their volume is actually air. Apples are less dense than water, making them the perfect fruit for apple bobbing.

Apples are good for your gut health. The type of fiber found in apples (called pectin) improves your gut-friendly bacteria, which may be why the fruit is thought to help protect against chronic diseases, like obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

An apple a day really might help keep the doctor away. Apples promote heart health in several ways. They’re high in soluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol. They also have polyphenols linked to lower blood pressure and chance of stroke.

Over 2,500 varieties of apples are grown in the U.S. Even though the crab apple is the only variety native to North America, thousands of types of apples are grown in the United States. Red Delicious, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Braeburn, McIntosh, Rome, Granny Smith and Gala are a few of the most popular varieties grown in the U.S.