Chicken Pear and Avocado Salad
This Chicken Pear and Avocado Salad is full of protein and flavor making it perfect for lunch or dinner.
Pin this Chicken Pear and Avocado Salad recipe for later!
Originally published October 27, 2014
Since summer, my husband and I have been really working hard at eating well and losing weight (using a Fitbit and tracking in My Fitness Pal). I can’t tell you how much easier and more motivating it is to accomplish this when you have a partner. Especially when your partner lives in your house and is your husband.
It’s one thing for me to make healthy choices just for myself…but when I know that my cooking and meal prep also helps my husband achieve his healthy living goals, well for some reason that pushes me a little more. I know he appreciates it too.
This salad. This chicken and pear salad with avocado and walnuts is a product of our healthy living partnership.
I have been in a major salad rut lately. It happens. Two trips to the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival, my baby’s first birthday celebration (will be sharing about it in my next post!), and a few too many pizza nights have happened lately too. Both my husband and I can say we have been feeling the effects of all those good times on our bodies. Just not feeling our best – a little sluggish and few extra pounds on the scale. I knew I had to get my salad makin’ self back to makin’ salads. For both of us!
We had this Chicken Pear and Avocado Salad for dinner the other night. If I am going to present my husband with a salad for dinner then it better be a good one, I’ve learned. It better have meat in it, for one, and it better taste so good he doesn’t realize he just ate a salad for dinner. You know what I mean?
How to make chicken and pear salad
A couple of shortcuts like rotisserie chicken and store bought salad dressing (I’m picky about my dressing, so it had to be a good one – I used this one that I have been liking a lot lately) made this mixed green salad with chicken, pears and walnuts a great weeknight dinner salad.
If you have time to make your own, try my Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette – it’s perfect for a pear salad like this.
If you don’t want to use rotisserie then here’s a great post on how to cook shredded chicken that I think you’ll find helpful.
I’m pretty much addicted to this salad and with pears in season, I think it’s safe to assume I will be making it often.
What are the best pears for salad?
It depends. There are quite a few to choose from this time of year. When I’m looking for a pear to snack on or add to salad or another dish like this Greek yogurt parfait, I like to pick up one that is still firm but ripe. It’s a delicate balance in choosing a perfectly ripe pear – you’ll know when it gives to gentle pressure around the stem.
My favorite pears for salads are anjou pears. They come in green or red and slice up easily for salads or snacking. I love bartlett pears too but they ripen very quickly so you have to eat just at the right time.
This chicken and pear salad restarted our healthy eating for the week and got us back on track. My daughter was a huge fan of this salad too, and my non-salad loving boys enjoyed it in a little more deconstructed form on their plates.
Prep Time:
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PinIngredients
Mixed Greens
Rotisserie Chicken, sliced or chopped
Avocado, sliced
Pear, sliced
Crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
Walnuts, chopped
Your favorite balsamic vinaigrette
Instructions
Assemble salad ingredients in a plate or bowl and drizzle with your favorite balsamic vinaigrette.
Notes
For perfect avocado slices, I love using this avocado slicer.
Follow Aggie’s Kitchen’s board Salads on Pinterest.
More salads to get you out of a salad rut:
Mediterranean Chopped Tuna Salad
Shaved Fennel and Arugula Salad
Autumn Spinach Salad with Pecan Vinaigrette
Balsamic Chicken Dinner Salad | Foodie With Family
Southwest Chicken Salad with Homemade Southwest Dressing | Noble Pig
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I recently started using a fitbit and my fitness pal. I love both programs and this would be the perfect salad to make for a healthy meal.
Great fall salad!
LOVE the look of this salad. So delicious for fall and I love the use of pears…yum!
I love love fruit in salads. And avocado always wins 🙂 Glad you guys are doing it together!!!
I want this in my life!! Your avocado looks perfect too!
This looks like one great salad!
I have to get back into MFP account and get tracking – I’ve been slacking! But I know this salad would help me keep on track, too! ESP before the holidays! Lovely!
Pizza always “gets” me, too. We always keep rotisserie chicken on hand .. it’s so yummy. Love the pear combo, Aggie! Keep going, girl!
This looks like a perfect fall salad, Aggie!
I’d be happy to eat salads like this pretty much any night, any time and I’m with your husband. I like a little protein, especially if it’s dinner. I’ve seen those Marzetti dressings at the store but haven’t tried them yet. I think I’ll have to give it a go. Lovely dinner idea!
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This salad looks so yummy! I love pears! I love my FitBit too…it motivates me on days when I just don’t feel like working out.
I absolutely love this salad…especially the pears!
great recipe. I try soon.