Warm Winter Salad

From EatingWell: November/December 2008 — Subscribe Now!

Sautéed radicchio, fennel and carrots are topped with chicken, walnuts and Gorgonzola in this warm and hearty main-dish salad. Serve with crusty whole-grain baguette.

4 servings, about 2 1/4 cups each

Active Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pears, sliced
2 small shallots, minced
6 tablespoons sherry vinegar
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3 cups shredded cooked turkey, or chicken (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 chopped walnuts, toasted (see Tip)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
12 large butterhead or Boston lettuce leaves
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola, or goat cheese

Preparation

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 & Notes

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.
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.

Nutrition

Per serving: 384 calories; 15 g fat (4 g sat, 6 g mono); 83 mg cholesterol; 32 g carbohydrates; 33 g protein; 9 g fiber; 548 mg sodium; 1284 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (160% daily value), Vitamin C (45% dv), Potassium (37% dv), Folate (31% dv), Calcium & Iron (20% dv).

1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1 fruit, 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 2 fat