Kale Chicken Salad with Apples, Almonds and Gorgonzola

Blue cheese, nuts and fruit are a trio always welcome in salad, especially in the fall, when seasonal apples taste so good with sharp cheese and toasted nuts. I wanted to pair those flavors with some seasonal produce, making a hearty entrée salad.

Since the Kale Ceasar Salad was such a big hit, and Kale is in-season for like half the year, I figured it was time for a second take on kale salad, this time with more flavors. It also gave me another chance to use the French breakfast radishes I used in the Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad with Chèvre, Spring Herbs and Coffee Soil.

Kale Chicken Salad with Apples, Almonds and Gorgonzola

2 tbsp. olive oil
3/4 lb. chicken breast cutlets
Seasoned salt and fresh-ground black pepper
1/4 cup sliced almonds
About 8 kale leaves, stems removed, chopped into thin ribbons
1 apple, cored and cut into matchsticks (I used pink lady apples)
2 radishes, sliced very thin (I used a vegetable peeler)
3-4 oz. gorgonzola cheese (or other blue cheese)


Dressing:
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1/2 shallot (about 1 tbsp.), minced
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. When hot, pat the chicken dry and sauté in pan until cooked through, about 10 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway. Season with seasoned salt and fresh-ground black pepper. Set aside to cool and then slice into bite-size pieces.

2. Heat a small frying pan over just-under medium heat. Toast the sliced almonds until lightly browned, shaking occasionally to prevent burning. Set aside.

3. Combine the kale, apple and radishes in a large bowl. Whisk together the dressing ingredients and toss with the salad (it works best to whisk together everything but the olive oil first and then add the oil and whisk it in last). Serve salad topped with sautéed chicken, toasted almonds and a wedge of blue cheese.