Chicken Apple Bacon Walnut Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 lbs cooked chicken breasts )
• 8 slices bacon
• 3 medium apples
• 3/4 cup chopped
• 7 – 9 oz spring mix & spinach lettuce blend
• 6 oz crumbled feta
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp honey
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped shallot
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Layer all salad ingredients into individual salad bowls or over plates. Serve drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette.
2. For the balsamic vinaigrette:
3. Add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, and finely diced shallot to a blender. Season with salt and pepper to taste and blend mixture until well emulsified and thickened slightly. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container. *To cook the chicken I like this recipe from The Kitchn – only I cooked mine longer as I had thick chicken breasts. I also omitted the optional herbs and used a little garlic powder instead.