Road trips have a way of lowering one’s culinary expectations.
A ten-hour drive from Niagara Falls to Cape Cod sounds rather romantic on paper: colourful autumn leaves, winding roads and the promise of salt air at the journey’s end. In reality, much of the New York Thruway is a procession of rest areas, many of which were rebuilt during the pandemic. Gone are the old food courts and familiar McDonald’s stops. In their place are sleek Applegreen plazas where coffee, yoghurt and sandwiches reign supreme—and Burger King seems to have become the official state bird of the Thruway.
Then, quite unexpectedly, there was Panera.
Nestled among the coffee counters and convenience shelves was a simple Fuji Apple Chicken Salad filled with crisp apples, tender chicken, blue cheese and pecans. It wasn’t complicated, but after hours on the road it felt remarkably fresh and satisfying.
This salad is my version of that memorable lunch. With sweet apples, roasted chicken, creamy Gorgonzola, toasted pecans, chopped pralines and crisp Apple Chips, it’s everything I hoped for when I recreated it at home—and considerably better than anything served under fluorescent lights beside an interstate.
Print
Panera-Inspired Apple Salad with Pralines anAutumn Orchard Chicken Salad with Apple Chips
Inspired by a memorable Panera lunch discovered during a long drive across New York State, this autumn salad combines tender chicken, crisp apples, crunchy Apple Chips, creamy Gorgonzola, pralines, toasted pecans and dried cranberries in a maple apple cider vinaigrette.
- Yield: Serves 4. 1x
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 600g or 4 cups cooked chicken breast, sliced or shredded
- 2 crisp apples (Fuji, Gala or Honeycrisp), thinly sliced
- 50g or about 2 cups store-bought or homemade Apple Chips
- 140g or about 8 cups mixed salad greens
- 120g or 1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or blue cheese
- 110g or 1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
- 50 g or ½ cup Pralines (candied pecans), chopped
- 40g or ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 40g or ½ cup thinly sliced red onion (optional)
For the Maple Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- 60ml or ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 30ml or 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 15ml or 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 180ml or ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Make the vinaigrette
Whisk the vinegar, maple syrup, and Dijon together. Slowly add the olive oil while whisking, until the dressing is emulsified. Season to taste.
Assemble the salad
In a shallow serving bowl or platter, layer the mixed greens with sliced chicken and apple. Scatter over the apple chips, gorgonzola, pecans, chopped pralines, and dried cranberries.
Dress and serve
Drizzle with vinaigrette just before serving, and toss gently if desired. Serve with crusty bread or a simple soup for a balanced autumn meal.
Notes
Homemade Apple Chips keep surprisingly well. Store any extras in an airtight glass jar at room temperature. Mine were still crisp and delicious months later, making them an easy addition to salads, cheese boards, lunchboxes or even oatmeal.
From the Entertablement Pantry
Keep a jar of Apple Chips on hand and you’ll find yourself reaching for them throughout the autumn. They’re wonderful on cheese boards, alongside soups and sandwiches.
