Market Fresh Salad

Entree salads are perfect for weeknight dinners. When you can limit the amount of time turning on the stove in the hotter months, it’s a real win-win. And when you can change things up from hot heavy meals in the colder months – it is still win-win. This salad is loaded with delicious sweet and savory ingredients and drizzled with a homemade poppy seed dressing. My recipe for a Market Fresh Salad is going to be very welcome on a weeknight dinner table.

Not everyone likes fruit in their salad, but you have got to give this salad a try. The crispy tartness of the green apples, along with the sweetness of the blueberries and poppy seed dressing, makes for an explosion of flavor. If your apples are not super fresh, you may need to spritz them with lemon juice to make sure they do not brown.

For the 50/50 spring mix greens, you need to make sure you get a good variety. You want some frise, red leaf, green leaf, spinach, and romaine. The real point is that you want a variety of artisan greens and common greens. When it comes to the base of an entree salad, you want a good mix. All the greens being of one kind is no fun.

This simple recipe for a delightful Poppy seed dressing is one you want to hold on to for the future. It’s so simple but so super yum. You can swap out the sour cream for Greek Yogurt if you want to cut some calories. You can use lemon juice from a bottle or a fresh lemon. If you use a fresh lemon, microplane some lemon zest into it for a little extra citrus flavor.

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

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Market Fresh Salad

A fun mix of fruit, vegetables, chicken and bacon over mixed greens with a homemade poppy seed dressing.

Course Main Course, Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword bacon, bacon bits, blueberries, carrots, Chicken, entree salad, green apple, mixed greens, poppy seed dressing, red onion, rotisserie chicken, Salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1½ lb Chicken Breast
• 1 qt Chicken Broth
• ½ lb Bacon
• 4 cups 50/50 Mixed Greens
• 2 Carrots halved and sliced
• 1 Large Green Apple cubed
• ½ Red Onion thin sliced
• 1 cup Blueberries
• ½ lb White Cheddar cubed
• 1 English Cucumber cubed
• 1 cup Walnuts chopped

For the Poppy Seed Dressing

• ½ cup Oil
• ½ cup Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt
• ½ cup Mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tbsp Honey
• 1 tbsp Poppy Seeds
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1 tsp Salt

Instructions

• In a sauce pan over medium-high heat, add chicken and chicken broth. Let boil for 20 minutes. Remove to a cutting board and chop. Let cook as long as you can before building salads. NOTE: You can replace with cold rotisserie chicken meat.
• In a frying pan over medium high, add bacon. Cook until just crispy. Remove to a paper towel covered plate. Once cooled, transfer to a cutting board and chop into bits.
• Combine dressing ingredients in a mason jar. Secure lid and shake until fully combined. Place in refrigerator until ready to build salads. NOTE Can be kept for up to a week, sealed in jar in refrigerator.
• Start with a bed of mixed greens. Then sprinkle with apples, red onions, cheese, cucumbers, and carrots. Drizzle with poppy seed dressing. Then sprinkle with bacon, chicken and walnuts. Drizzle with a little more poppy seed dressing.