Warm Winter Salad

By Bexter

Feeling cold? Warm up with this healthy winter salad featuring radicchio, shredded chicken, toasted walnuts, carrots, pears and simple dressing.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pears, sliced
• 2 small shallots, minced
• 6 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 3 cups cooked turkey, or chicken, shredded (12 ounces; see Tip)
• 1 large head radicchio, thinly sliced
• 1 large fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced
• 2 large carrots, cut into matchsticks
• 2 tablespoons walnuts, toasted and chopped (see Tip)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 12 large butterhead or Boston lettuce leaves
• 1/2 cup Gorgonzola, or goat cheese, crumbled

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add pears and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.

Whisk shallots, vinegar and mustard in a small bowl; add to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add turkey (or chicken), radicchio, fennel, carrots and walnuts. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just wilted, about 3 minutes. Return the pears to the pan and season with salt and pepper.

Divide lettuce leaves among 4 plates. Top with the warm salad and sprinkle with cheese.Serves 2 Variation: Halve the ingredients and prepare the recipe in a large nonstick skillet instead of a Dutch oven.

Tips: To poach chicken breasts, place boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a medium skillet or saucepan. Add lightly salted water to cover and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 10 to 12 minutes.

To toast walnuts, place chopped walnuts in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.