Harvest Salad with Hot Honey Glazed Pecans

Serves

4

Total Time

1 hr 10 min

Difficulty

Easy

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Summary

this hearty salad is packed with all of my favorite fall flavors: sweet honeycrisp apple, juicy chicken breast, roasted butternut squash, and peppery arugula, all topped with homemade hot honey pecans. packed with nutrients, fiber, and protein, it’s the perfect meal for those days when you want to eat healthy, but you don’t want to feel like you’re eating healthy.

Ingredients

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. pepper
  • ½ tsp. onion powder
  • ½ tsp. garlic powder
  • ½ tsp. chicken bouillon
  • 2 tbsp. avocado oil
  • 1 butternut squash
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • ¼ cup raw pecans
  • 2 tbsp. Mike’s Hot Honey
  • pinch of flakey salt
  • 4 cups arugula
  • 1 large honeycrisp apple
  • ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese
  • ⅓ cup balsamic vinaigrette

Instructions

  1. preheat the oven to 350˚F.
  2. begin by peeling and chopping the squash into bite-sized cubes. transfer squash onto a lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. season with salt and pepper, tossing to coat, then place in the oven and bake for one hour.
  3. while the squash is roasting, add avocado oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. once the pan is hot, add chicken breasts and cook for about 5 minutes per side (or until internal temperature reaches 160˚F). set aside and let rest.
  4. in a pan over medium heat, dry roast pecans for 1-2 minutes. add honey and toss to coat, then sprinkle with flakey salt and set aside to cool.
  5. before assembling the salad, dice the apple and roughly chop the chicken.
  6. make a bed of arugula in a large salad bowl, then add butternut squash, diced apple, candied pecans, chicken, and crumbled goat cheese. drizzle with balsamic and toss before serving.