Once the temperatures cool and the leaves begin to fall, most people gravitate towards soups and stews for cozying up and I am no different. We’ve already had our first chili and cornbread dinner gathering of the season and the crock pot has been put to good weekday use. Sometimes however, when afternoons turn warm and those vibrant fall leaves glisten in the sunlight, I crave a crisp autumn salad.
Sometime last year a friend introduced me to walnut oil when she brought a salad over for one of our dinner parties. I couldn’t believe the difference the walnut oil made- it was one of those stand-out salads that I’ll never forget. The flavor is so wonderful and I especially love La Tourangelle’s roasted walnut oil in particular (not sponsored, just my personal opinion); roasted makes the deep nutty walnut flavor stand out. I’ve been eating a variation of this salad for lunch almost everyday for the past week and I’ve yet to become tired of it. This version has become my favorite- tender chicken, crisp apples and arugula, chewy farro, toasty walnuts, and creamy blue cheese all tossed in a walnut oil and apple cider vinaigrette dressing. This salad is light enough to not weigh you down, but substantial enough to fill you up and keep you energized for the day.
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 1 medium apple, thinly sliced and cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup farro, cooked according to package directions
- 2-3 cups roughly chopped arugula
- ⅓ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
- ⅓ cup crumbled blue cheese
Dressing
- 4 tablespoons roasted walnut oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- pinch of ground black pepper
- Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, apple, farro, arugula, and half the walnuts and blue cheese. Toss with half the dressing and season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Add additional dressing if necessary. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle remaining walnuts and blue cheese crumbles on top. This salad is best served immediately, although if you'd like to assemble ahead of time, leave the arugula out and add it in right before serving.
Dorcas says
What a gorgeous salad. It does look like a perfect alternative to the soups and chills. Also I’ve never used walnut oil so I am excited to try this! Thanks! 🙂
Emily says
Hi Dorcas! Thanks so much for stopping by! Yes, hope you give walnut oil a try. It’s so good!
Liora says
This salad looks simply delicious, Emily! I love the peppery taste of arugula in salads, I feel like it warms up the dish, and I have to try walnut oil now!
Emily says
Thanks, Liora! Arugula has really grown on me during the past couple of years-adds such a great balance to salads. Hope your weekend on wonderful!
Kathryn @ The Scratch Artist says
This salad sounds so perfect. I’ve heard of walnut oil, but I’ve never used it. That is going to change. I love the sound of a crisp autumn salad. I hope I have all of the ingredients in the house to make this for lunch 🙂
Emily says
Thank you, Kathryn! It’s been so much fun experimenting beyond the normal olive oil dressings. So thankful for sunny autumn days!
Jessie Snyder | Faring Well says
This is so beautiful Emily! I too find myself craving fall salads on the warmer afternoons when fall hasn’t quite decided if its going to cool down for reals yet. And I love this use of walnut oil, will have to pick some up to try soon for sure <3
Emily says
Thank you, Jessie! I know, even with our first frost (ahh!) the afternoons have been so bright and pleasant. Did I see on IG that you were sick last week? No fun at all, but hopefully you had a chance to slow down and rest. Hope you are all better now!
Sophie | The Green Life says
This is such a lovely salad Emily! I think I’ve never actually tried walnut oil before!! I need to change this asap. It sounds really delicious. Thank you for the inspiration. <3
Emily says
Thanks, Sophie! It’s a bit dangerous once you discover their line of oils- I just bought hazelnut oil and am excited to experiment with that one next!