Smoked chicken salad with pear and walnuts

Serves - 4

You’ll need

• 2 smoked chicken breasts, sliced or shredded
• 2 ripe but firm pears, cored and thinly sliced
• 100g walnuts
• 1 bag mixed salad leaves
• 1 small red onion, very finely sliced
• Small handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 50g soft goat’s cheese or blue cheese, optional
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp honey
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Toast the walnuts

Heat a dry frying pan over a medium heat and toast the walnuts for 3–4 minutes, shaking the pan now and then, until they smell nutty and have taken on a little colour. Tip them onto a plate and leave them to cool. It is a small step, but it makes a real difference.

2. Make the dressing

In a small bowl or jug, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, a pinch of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Have a taste. It should feel sharp enough to lift the chicken and pear, but not so aggressive that it bulldozes the whole thing.

3. Build the salad

Put the salad leaves into a large bowl with the smoked chicken, sliced pear, red onion and most of the parsley. Break in the toasted walnuts, keeping a few back for the top if you like.

4. Dress it properly

Pour over the dressing and toss gently so everything gets lightly coated without knocking the pears about too much. If you are using the goat’s cheese or blue cheese, crumble it over now.

5. Finish and serve

Transfer to a serving dish or divide between plates, then scatter over the remaining walnuts and parsley. Give it a final twist of black pepper and serve straight away while everything still feels crisp and fresh.

A couple of helpful notes

- A slightly sharp pear works best here, so the salad stays fresh rather than tipping too sweet.
- Blue cheese gives it a richer, punchier edge, while goat’s cheese keeps things a little softer and lighter.
- A few slices of warm sourdough alongside would not hurt at all if you want to turn this into more of a lunch.