How can I make my salad more flavorful?

Add a little more and stop when things start tasting good to you. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Adds richness and a “fullness” to a lusterless, dry salad. Salt: Subdues bitter flavors and perks up the rest of them. Lemon Juice and Zest: Brightens murky flavors, especially with dark vegetables. More items... Jun 19, 2012

What can I add to my salad to make it better?

Add one or more of these protein-rich foods to your salad: lean meat: chicken or turkey breast, lean steak. lower-fat cheese: light cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella, feta, goat cheese. legumes: kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, white or black beans. eggs: hard boiled. soy products: cubed tofu, edamame. More items...

How do you make a salad not to be boring?

Tip #1: don't be afraid to mix textures, temperatures, vegetables and fruits! When it comes to salads, mixing is key. ... Tip #2: the final garnish is the difference between a good and a great salad! Examples? ... Tip 3: seasoning, seasoning, seasoning! Use anything your heart desires. ... Tip 4: make your salads unique!

Winter Pear Salad Recipe | Damn Delicious (2024)

5 stars (8 ratings)

15 Comments »

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So hearty with so many feel-good ingredients! Lemon rosemary chicken, brussels sprouts, pear and a honey dijon dressing!

Anyone else still rolling from the holidays? I feel like I have gained 10 pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas with all the stuffing, cream pies, and corgi sugar cookies I have been stuffing down my gullet the last month.

It’s been absolutely glorious. I still have some leftover corgi sugar cookies hoarded away in my purse. SHHHHHH.

But I also need all my veggies now, and then some to make up for the holidays, and this salad makes it almost too easy to get in all my nutrients.

With massaged kale, brussels sprouts, pear, pomegranate, and the juiciest marinated lemon rosemary chicken thighs, I can eat this for the entire month of January. The candied walnuts, crumbled blue cheese and honey Dijon dressing also help tremendously.

Winter Pear Salad

Yield: 4 - 6 servings

Prep: 20 minutes minutes

Cook: 20 minutes minutes

Total: 40 minutes minutes

So hearty with so many feel-good ingredients! Lemon rosemary chicken, brussels sprouts, pear and a honey dijon dressing!

5 stars (8 ratings)

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 cups shredded kale
3 cups shredded brussels sprouts
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 bosc pear, sliced
3 clementines, peeled and segmented
½ cup pomegranate arils
¾ cup candied walnuts
½ cup crumbled blue cheese

Instructions

In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine chicken, 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper; marinate for at least 2 hours to overnight, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a cast iron grill pan over medium-high heat.* Working in batches, add chicken to the grill pan in a single layer and cook until golden brown and cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 4-5 minutes per side.
In a large bowl, combine kale, brussels sprouts and green onions; drizzle with remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, vinegar, honey and Dijon. Massage until the kale starts to soften and wilt, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top with pear, clementines, pomegranate, walnuts and blue cheese.
Serve immediately.

Notes

*If you do not have a cast iron grill pan, you can also use a large cast iron skillet.

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posted on January 2, 2020under chicken, salad
15 CommentsLeave a Comment »

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15 comments

Karen Rohloff — January 2, 2024 @ 1:27 PM Reply

My husband & I both enjoyed this salad. The marinaded chicken was very juicy. I did not drain any extra liquid before cooking it. Make sure you really massage the kale. It really needs about 10 minutes of massaging. Also, I made 3 times the amount of dressing.

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Jason — February 25, 2021 @ 8:30 AM Reply

Absolutely delicious! Had to substitute craisins for pomegranate, and candied pecans for the walnuts, but otherwise made it as shown. Thanks!

Mer — January 18, 2021 @ 4:09 PM Reply

My whole family loves this salad!! I am not a blue cheese fan, so we used feta, but it was great!

Donna — February 27, 2020 @ 12:44 PM Reply

What’s the calorie count for this dish? Anyone know?

Jana @ Damn Delicious — February 27, 2020 @ 1:05 PM Reply

Hi Donna! Nutritional information is provided only for select recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, we recommend using free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”). Hope that helps!

Patty McMahon — January 11, 2020 @ 2:17 PM Reply

That. Looks “Damn Delicious”!!
Lip smackin’ Goodness.

Taylor — January 10, 2020 @ 8:24 AM Reply

This was fabulous. Such a great combination of flavors. Thank you so much for posting this!

Kerenza — January 9, 2020 @ 11:12 PM Reply

Look good! I will try your recipe soon for my next holiday.

Heidi — January 5, 2020 @ 3:52 PM Reply

Loved this salad! Was so tasty and filling and just the healthy but fun meal I needed! I’m curious do you know the nutrition information for this?

Patti Kolcun — January 5, 2020 @ 1:15 PM Reply

I just made your Winter pear salad, it was amazing!!!
My husband said it was the best salad he ever ate. Thank you for this recipe

Christine — January 4, 2020 @ 6:41 PM Reply

Haven’t made it yet, but the picture alone is worth 5 stars! Just curious…it looks like chicken breast (not chicken thighs). Does this change anything in the directions? I’d rather use chicken breast anyway.
Thanks for the inspiration!

Darlene — January 3, 2020 @ 9:36 PM Reply

This salad is so beautiful! I want to make it!! Can you suggest another cheese to
add, my husband doesn’t eat blue cheese. (I love it, but he won’t touch it). I love all your recipes! The Best!! Happy New Year!!

Sarah — January 4, 2020 @ 5:14 PM Reply

Crumbly feta would work. A few slices of brie Or camembert would be indulgent too. Or just give yourself the luxury of blue cheese and him none 😉

Cecilia — January 3, 2020 @ 1:43 PM Reply

Can you recommend another dressing for this amazing salad? I am not a fan of dijon.

Sarah — January 4, 2020 @ 5:12 PM Reply

I’d use another mustard then. Or even good mayo if you like creaminess. Or just leave it out – a honey vinegarette is good!

FAQs

Toss on a little something extra.

Try herbs, fruit, grains or cheese. Here the list is truly endless. When it comes to grains, go whole and choose something like quinoa, bulgur, farro, or wheat berries. With cheeses like goat or feta, a little goes a long way to add flavor.

A blend of crunchy (nuts and seeds), chewy (dried fruit), crispy (bell peppers or fennel), and soft (avocado or hard-boiled egg) foods make for a more balanced and ultimately more satisfying salad.

Add a little more and stop when things start tasting good to you.

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Adds richness and a “fullness” to a lusterless, dry salad.
Salt: Subdues bitter flavors and perks up the rest of them.
Lemon Juice and Zest: Brightens murky flavors, especially with dark vegetables.

More items...

Jun 19, 2012

Add one or more of these protein-rich foods to your salad:

lean meat: chicken or turkey breast, lean steak.
lower-fat cheese: light cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella, feta, goat cheese.
legumes: kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, white or black beans.
eggs: hard boiled.
soy products: cubed tofu, edamame.

More items...

One of the easiest ways to get some flavour in your salad is to mix up your leaves with bright herbs that pack a punch. Plants like parsley, dill, mint and coriander can really kick your salads up a notch and give them some (much needed) depth and can give a great dose of flavour in every bite.

Tip #1: don't be afraid to mix textures, temperatures, vegetables and fruits! When it comes to salads, mixing is key. ...
Tip #2: the final garnish is the difference between a good and a great salad! Examples? ...
Tip 3: seasoning, seasoning, seasoning! Use anything your heart desires. ...
Tip 4: make your salads unique!

An appetizer salad should stimulate the appetite and have fresh, crisp ingredients such as cheese, ham, salami, shrimp, crabmeat, or vegetables lightly coated with a tangy, flavorful dressing (that will 'wake up the mouth').

There are five elements to a perfect salad: greens, sweetness, creaminess, crunchiness, and dressing.

In a bowl of soft and tender ingredients, a little crunch goes a long way. A handful of nuts or seeds—raw or toasted—are effortless and add an extra hit of nutrition. Try adding chunks of grilled bread to make a Panzanella-style salad or go for crispy breadcrumbs if you want a lighter level of crunch.

Season the greens & vegetables

Your dressing or vinaigrette may be perfectly seasoned but when added to unseasoned or raw vegetables, the overall taste of the salad may turn out bland.