This warm entree salad highlights late fall / winter flavors like apples and pecans. The dish is topped with a sweet- tart vinaigrette made from apple cider for an extra special finish. Smarts: If you have leftover apple cider, simmer it with some cinnamon sticks for a warm after-dinner drink.
Make vinaigrette / marinade - Combine shallots, cider and vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and simmer until reduced by about 1/3, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in olive oil and mustard. Season with some salt and pepper. Let cool completely before marinating chicken. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Marinate chicken- Halve chicken breasts. Combine with half the vinaigrette / marinade (reserve the other half) and tenderize with a fork. Marinate for 20 minutes and up to a day. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
Pecans - You can leave them raw for the salad or, if you prefer you can toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently until fragrant, ~4 minutes. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Apples - Slice.
Unlock this meal along with hundreds of smart meal plans and never stress about "What's for dinner?" again
Remove chicken from marinade (discard marinade) and season with some salt and pepper.
Heat a skillet with cooking oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sear on both sides until chicken is cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes total.
Transfer chicken to a cutting board and slice as soon as it is cool enough to handle.
Assemble salads by setting out a bed of arugula and topping it with chicken, pecans and apples. Add remaining half of apple cider vinaigrette until the salad is dressed to your liking. Enjoy!