Chicken, Apple, and Goat Cheese Salad with Dark Cherry Balsamic Dressing

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Cooler days, shorter nights – the fall transition has begun. It’s that in-between time where stew seems too soon, but you might need a sweater. For those who love summer, I’m sorry, but it’s only four days away. And while I love everything about the changing seasons, truth be told, I’m team fall all the way. If there was a place that was forever fall, I’d go there in a heartbeat. I have pumpkin fever, and I have it bad. 

The dazzling days of summer are waning. The leaves are changing colors – fiery reds, oranges and yellows – and they’re starting to fall, too. I’ve seen more than one flock of geese passing, and the light has started to change, as well. We are headed into a spectacular Northwest fall. 

Even the grocery stores are transitioning. The summer produce is starting to dwindle away and  you can’t help but notice that the apples and pears are coming on strong. You know it’s fall when the apple aroma becomes heady the minute you enter the store. I love this.

Ease into the change of seasons and method dress your meals, too. Make them a little bit heartier, and eat what’s in season. Add warmth and spice here and there, and lean into the flavors of fall. And add apples any place you can. (You can’t have enough apples.) 

Years ago, Nordstrom Cafe used to serve a delicious salad topped with chicken, apple and goat cheese. It had slices of fresh apple, crispy apple chips, and cinnamon-spiced slivered almonds. I always ordered it with their cherry balsamic dressing, which also must have been very popular, because they sold bottles of that there, too. Sadly, it was no longer on the menu the last time I was there, which made me wonder if there was any possibility that I could recreate it at home. 

To make a Chicken, Apple, and Goat Cheese Salad with Dark Cherry Balsamic Dressing, I used a one pound container of Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Salad Mix that contained Red and Green Romaine, Red and Green Oak Leaf, Lollo Rosa and Tango. You can use any kind of mixed greens that you like, but start by plating your greens, portioning as much as you want, between two plates. 

Next, add some very thin slices of apple, again any kind you prefer, but go for crisp, sweet varieties. I used Envy (very sweet with low acid and a slight flowery taste), but I think Fuji, Honeycrisp, or my other favorite, Braeburn, would all be great here, too. Tuck the apple slices into your greens so that they are nicely spaced throughout your salad. Add some crumbled goat cheese, as much as you’d like, spooning it all around the plate. Top this with a generous portion of sliced rotisserie chicken, hot or cold, and a sprinkling of sliced toasted almonds. Feel free to use candied or spiced nuts if you prefer.

Finish by adding some crunchy baked apple chips. You want to use the kind of apple chips that are crunchy here, as opposed to just the dried ones, which can be somewhat soggy. I used Bare Baked Organic Cinnamon Apple Chips because they are made with no added sugars, artificial colors or preservatives. Tossed strategically around your salad, they add natural sweetness and a satisfying crunch, a nice contrast against the other elements of the salad. 

One of the things I liked best about that salad was the dressing. It was bold and tangy, thick, and just the right amount of sweet. I would always order it on the side so that it wouldn’t overpower my salad. To make it at home, I used frozen sweet cherries and a little bit of honey, just enough to enhance the robust, slightly sweet flavor of the balsamic vinegar. Combined with a little Dijon mustard and the olive oil, it emulsified beautifully in the blender and was every bit as good as the bottled one, plus it made enough that I could use it several times. 

Four days and counting. It’s finally fall.

Chicken, Apple, and Goat Cheese Salad with Dark Cherry Balsamic Dressing

makes 2 salads

• 8 ounces or more mixed field greens 
• 1 crisp, sweet apple, sliced thinly (such as Honeycrisp, Fuji, Pink Lady, Jazz, or Envy)
• 1 5-ounce log goat cheese 
• 8-12 ounces sliced rotisserie chicken, or roasted chicken
• sliced, toasted almonds, or other seeds or nuts
• 1 8-ounce bag baked crunchy apple chips

Portion greens, as much as you would like, onto two plates. Tuck apple slices into greens so that they are evenly spaced throughout. Add crumbled goat cheese, spooning it all around the plate. Top with a generous portion of sliced rotisserie chicken, hot or cold, and a sprinkling of sliced toasted almonds. Finish with crunchy baked apple chips. Serve with Dark Cherry Balsamic Dressing. 

Dark Cherry Balsamic Dressing

• 1 cup frozen dark sweet cherries
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1/2 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Add cherries to a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high power until warm, about 1 minute. Transfer cherries to the jar of a blender, then add balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Blend on high until mixture is smooth, then adjust speed to medium-low. While machine is running, remove the lid plug and pour oil in through the lid plug opening, just a little at a time, increasing the speed of the blender as you add the oil, until mixture emulsifies. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.