A Simple Winter Salad

Sometimes its hard to actually want to eat salad in the month of January. Its cold and dreary out, and usually you're craving something to comfort and warm you. That said, this salad is kind of a little game changer because not only is it super comforting, but its toasted walnuts and roasted chicken are just delish at any time of the year. 

A Not So Little Gem Salad
1 head little gem lettuce, washed and chopped
1/4 cup of roasted chicken
1/4 toasted walnuts
1/3 cup chopped apple (I use pink lady)
1 green onion
 

Dressing
3 TBSP organic olive oil (you can also use avocado oil if you prefer)
1 TBSP white wine vinegar
1 TSP honey mustard
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of black pepper
Juice from half of a lemon

Wash and chop the lettuce, and then toss it in a big bowl. Then slice or shred some roasted chicken (I prep a chicken at the beginning of the week and just keep it in my fridge to use throughout the week for meals). On the stove, warm the chicken at a low temp with no moisture from oil. Then toss in the walnuts and warm together with the chicken until the walnuts get a little crispy. Remove from heat and set aside while you chop both the apple & green onion.

To make the dressing mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl until it forms a semi-creamy consistency. I find that using a small whisk or fork works best to really get all of the liquids together.

Then throw the chicken and walnut mixture over the lettuce along with the apples and green onions. Then drizzle dressing and toss all together. I finish my salad with a little squirt of fresh lemon juice just to taste. 

Thats it! Its a hearty salad that will keep you satisfied for longer - due to the high protein and good fiber from the walnuts. Often if I have quinoa in the fridge I'll toss some of that in if I'm feeling super hungry. You can also use different fruits such as strawberries or grapes depending on what you prefer. I like apples because they add a subtle pop of sweetness while being crunchy as well.