Recently, I was the winner of Mimi’s, Mimi’s Kitchen, Girard’s Dressings giveaway. We have been using Girard’s Light Champagne Dressing for a couple of years now and we love it. So I was excited to try some of their other flavors.
Mimi posted several great salad recipes on her giveaway post, including this one for Chicken Apple Salad. She used Girard ‘s Apple Poppy Seed dressing and it is a perfect fit for this salad. It is sweet, like a raspberry vinaigrette, but light and really compliments the fruits in the salad.
I changed up Mimi’s salad a bit. I used green onions and Parmesan and added the candied walnuts I fell in love with posted on Our Best Bites. As with most salad recipes, it’s easy to make it your own and use whatever flavors/ingredients you like. I served this as a main dish with some hearty whole grain rolls.
Ingredients
- 1/2 c. chopped walnuts
- 1/4 c. sugar
- 2 chicken breasts, grilled and diced
- 4 slices of pre-cooked bacon, chopped
- 2 cups mixed greens
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries (Craisins)
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 3 oz. package apple chips
Directions
- Combine the walnuts and sugar in a medium skillet. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until the sugar starts to liquefy. Continue stirring constantly until the liquid reaches a golden color and coats the nuts. Remove from heat and spread candied nuts onto a greased cookie sheet or plate and allow to cool completely. Stir occasionally as it cools to break up large pieces.
- Toss remaining ingredients in a bowl and serve with your favorite dressing. I used the Girard 's Apple Poppy Seed dressing.
Notes
adapted from Mimi's Kitchen and Our Best Bites
I also made a spaghetti toss recipe that came with the dressings. It used the creamy balsamic vinaigrette, which was delicious as well and would be perfect for any pasta salad. Thanks Mimi for hosting the giveaway!
Other salad recipes you might like:
Perfect Pasta Salad, Barbara Bakes
Coucous Salad, Mimi’s Kitchen
Spinach Mandarin Poppy Seed Salad, Our Best Bites
Greek Chicken Pasta Salad, Wives with Knives
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I love to bake, especially cookies, cakes, and pies. I’ll post my adventures in the kitchen, my favorite new recipes, as well as our family favorites.
Savory, sweet and nutty is wonderful! This is such a fabulous salad, Barbara! The flavors, freshness and textures are perfect!
What a delicious looking salad. I’ll be on the lookout for that dressing for sure.
Love this – it sounds perfect for my lunches!
What a wonderful salad. Sounds so well rounded and delicious!
I love anything with candied nuts… can’t wait to try this one!
Candied walnut make me want to eat this salad right away
I love the candied walnuts in there! Great salad!
Nothing better than salads with candied nuts and apple so sizzling!
Cheers,
Gera
Barbara this salad looks delicious! I will be trying it soon:) I love the way you posted your recipe…and the print button. I would love to know how you do it!!
That salad looks amazing mum! And we’re getting into warm weather which means salads galore for me!
xxx
This looks like my kind of salad!! It looks delicious!
I really need to try and find these salad dressings.. this salad looks delicious.. simple yet fabulous ingredients!
What a delicious salad Barbara! I love the flavors. And the walnuts make it extra special.
this salad is so delicious! I love the addition of candied walnuts..
Barbara, I love this kind of salad! A meal in itself!
I could eat this salad year round. I am not quite ready to give them up yet, so thanks for another great recipe.
Hmmm That looks so good.
Lovely salad Barbara. I love combining fruits and meat and in apple season, this is such a perfect Fall salad!
Sounds like a marvellous combination. Well done on your win, it’s always exciting to get presents in the post.
Great way to use your giveaway prize, Barbara! I love mixing apples, walnuts and chicken. Last time I made this I used some gorgonzola….and I’m also going to use the dried cranberries too. Girards makes really good products!
Congrats on your win! Gosh, I bet each bite of this salad is amazing. Love all the goodies tucked inside-candied nuts, bacon & cheese. Nice!
This looks so fresh and light, and chock full of good stuff. Yum!
What a yummy-looking salad! You had me at the candied walnuts!
The seasonal shift to fall salads is such a flavor treat, and you’ve got a goodie here. It’s perfect for a light main course but, without the chicken, would also make a great accompaniment to, say, a roast pork dinner. Congrats on your win too!
This is an absolutely gorgeous salad! A perfect Autumn lunch …with a bottle of wine and some friends… lovely!
I love this salad!
Fabulous photos, scrumptious salad. I’m with girlchef – it’d make an awesome lunch salad & a little glass of white wine. Mmmmm, tasty stuff.
wow lovely salad looking forward to seeing you use spices in baking it will be first class
Looks wonderful and healthy! Thanks for your comments on my blog. My plan is to gorge on peaches this week so that I’m ready to try another fruit next week when they disappear for the year.
This looks amazing, and I love walnuts in anything!
Congrats on winning the goods. What wonderful flavors you have mixed into your salad, could I have a nice serving right now? I have a favorite Girard Dressing that I can’t live without, have you ever tried their White Balsamic Vinaigrette?
I love fruit and nuts in my salads but I never thought of apple chips. You’ve just succeeded in making me crave salad. That is not an easy thing to do! It was those terrific pictures you take that did it!
I’ve seen all of these Girard’s dressings around the blogosphere and they have intrigued me so much, mainly because of delicious recipes like this one! I love all of the textures and flavors that this salad has!
I just received my shipment of salad dressings and the apple poppyseed was the first one I used. I’m definitely going to have to throw this recipe together. Love the sweet, crunchy, saltiness of it all.
What a great salad – and I am loving the sound of candied walnuts.
Salad looks wonderful! I’ve seen that salad dressing before, but I’ve never tried it. Next time I go to the market I will def. try this. I love salads
perfect salad, i love the mix of fruit and nuts…yummy
will look for this dressing..
sweetlife
This is my first time visiting your blog…and I’m so very glad that I found you! Beautiful photographs and wonderful recipes! This salad looks fresh and delicious. I love pairing apples with walnuts…such lovely crunch!
So glad you enjoyed the salad dressings. I’ll be adding walnuts next time I make this.
Mimi
I love the textures and flavors of this salad… it looks delicious.
I’m with you on the Girard dressings. Usually, I make my own, but they have some that I just love. I haven’t tried the Poppyseed, I’ll have to pick some up!
I recently made candied pecans for the first time. What a wonderful treat! The only problem was that pecans are so expensive. I decided that I would use walnuts next time.
The recipe I used involved baking the walnuts and adding a few tasty spices but was otherwise the same idea. I posted the recipe to my blog which can be found here:
http://peredurskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/09/thursdays-spread-aftermath.html
Cheers!
Girard’s dressings are really great! I love all the different flavors and textures in this delicious salad!
Crunch crunch … I like the sound of this, and am glad you won! You always put the stuff to such great use. The salad dressing sounds wonderful… mmmm!
Oooo… mamamia, this is such awesome combo! Love everything in the salad. The addition of candied walnut just amazing. Thanks & hope you’re having a great weekend.
Kristy
Candied walnuts sound fantastic! Scrumptious sounding salad too, and great idea to round it out as a main with bread rolls.
Looks delicious – candied walnuts, nice touch yum!
I love this salad. I just made one recently with candied walnuts and pears. I love the grilled chicken and apple chips in yours. I really like making different salads. This is one I will be trying.
Barbara,
Wonderful salad here, the candied walnuts are a great addition to the chicken and apples, adding great crunchy texture.
Bon appetit!
CCR
=:~)
I love the apple chips and the candied walnuts, crunchy and delicious.