Go Back

Chopped Fall Harvest Salad With Chicken

Chopped fall harvest salad with chicken tossed with a maple balsamic dressing for a sweet-tangy bite. Juicy roasted chicken, roasted beets, crisp apples, crunchy candied pecans, and creamy goat cheese create a hearty, colorful autumn texture.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 545
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 2 chicken breasts grilled or roasted and sliced; season with salt, pepper, and Italian herbs
Salad base
  • 4 cup mixed greens or kale chopped
  • 1 apple cored and diced
  • 1 cup roasted beets cubed
  • 0.5 cup dried cranberries
  • 0.5 cup candied pecans
  • 4 oz goat cheese crumbled
  • 0.25 cup red onion thinly sliced
Maple balsamic dressing
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp Dijon
  • 0.01 salt to taste
  • 0.01 pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook the chicken
  1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and Italian herbs, roast on a sheet pan for 20–25 minutes until cooked through, then slice and cool slightly.
Make maple balsamic dressing
  1. Whisk olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and Dijon until emulsified, then season with salt and pepper.
Chop and assemble
  1. Arrange mixed greens or kale in a large bowl as a chopped base, then top with sliced chicken, diced apple, cubed roasted beets, dried cranberries, candied pecans, crumbled goat cheese, and thinly sliced red onion.
  2. Drizzle maple balsamic dressing over the salad just before serving, then toss lightly until glossy but not overdressed.

Notes

For the best crunch, keep dressing separate until just before eating; assemble the greens, chicken, apples, beets, cranberries, pecans, goat cheese, and onion up to 24 hours ahead, then refrigerate covered. Store assembled salad without dressing for 1 day (quality drops after that). Freezing is not recommended. If you want a lighter option, swap goat cheese for a smaller amount of feta or reduced-fat goat cheese to cut calories while keeping the tangy finish.