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Spinach and Pear Salad with Apple Ginger Dressing

Ingredients

  • salad
  • 1 bunch of kale washed, trimmed of stem and chopped or one 10-12 oz bag of kale chopped
  • 1 fresh lemon
  • 1 12 oz bag of spinach cleaned
  • 2 pears sliced or chopped, cored, skin on
  • 2 apples Honeycrisp or Fiji, cored, chopped, skin on
  • 2 large chicken breast halves cooked, cooled and chopped
  • 2 cups grated sharp white cheese or Brie sliced into 1/2 inch squares
  • Pumpkin seeds or sliced  almonds about 1 ½ cups
  • Dressing enough for a double to triple batch of salad
  • ⅓ cup apple juice
  • ⅓   cup white balsamic
  • ½ cup olive or canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon grated  fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon lemon peel optional
  • 2-3 tablespoons honey or sugar to taste
  • salt and pepper about ¼ teaspoon each
  • Make dressing by combining all ingredients in a large jar or a blender and whisk until smooth. Store in refrigerator until ready to use. I like to use an immersion blender to mix salad dressing.
  • Place kale in a large bowl and massage with juice of one lemon until volume decreases by about half. This takes about 1-2 minutes.
  • Add one bag of fresh spinach to kale and toss lightly do not drain lemon  juice.
  • Slice pear and apples and set in small bowl. Toss with ½  cup of dressing whisk dressing first to mix well to prevent from browning.
  • Combine fruit greens, chicken in a serving bowl or platter. Just before serving, fold in cheese and pumpkin seeds , and drizzle with dressing.
  • I reserve a bit of the cheese chicken, fruit and nuts for topping the salad for presentation. Pass dressing along side of salad.
  • Serves 6-8 as a main dish or 12-14 as a side.