Chicken and avocado with hot honey sauce vinaigrette recipe | members only

I always get asked about my favorite salad. Although mine changes with my mood, this is my daughter’s favorite and the one that she never got tired of when she was eating salads every day.

There’s something about the walnuts and feta with the hint of spice and sweet in the dressing that makes it the perfect combination. It is inspired by a fun little bistro in Santa Rosa,

California, called Franchetti’s. You feel like family when you’re there, and we have spent many hours at Franchetti’s celebrating birthdays, graduations, successes and friendships. Always

supporting the community, they gave away meals to many displaced families during the fires of 2017.  _— Darlene Schrijver_ CHICKEN AND AVOCADO WITH HOT HONEY SAUCE VINAIGRETTE Serves 4 as a

meal or 6 to 8 as a side INGREDIENTS * ½ cup coarsely chopped, toasted walnuts * ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil * ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice * 2 tablespoons plus 1½  teaspoons

honey * 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard * 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce * Flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper * 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce (bite-size pieces) * 4 cups thinly sliced

lacinato kale, ribs removed * 2 cups cubed rotisserie chicken breast, skin removed (1-inch pieces)* * 2 cups cubed avocado (½-inch pieces) * ½ cup crumbled feta cheese * ¼ cup very coarsely

chopped fresh dill (½-inch pieces) *Rotisserie chickens can be extremely salty. I try to find the no-salt or low-sodium ones when I can. If the only ones available are too salty, substitute

homemade grilled chicken breast. Always taste the chicken before adding salt to the salad or dressing. People often ask for a substitute for feta — experiment with a fresh goat cheese or

plain Boursin. Courtesy Simon & Schuster DIRECTIONS Toast the nuts. This step improves the flavor and texture of nuts, even if you purchase roasted nuts. Heating them draws the natural

oils to the surface, intensifying the rich nutty essence and creating a deeper color, and the nuts are crunchier. Heat a skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. Once heated, add a single

layer of nuts. Stir frequently with a spatula until the nuts turn golden brown and aromatic, 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately remove the nuts from the pan and transfer to a small bowl to stop the

cooking. Let cool for a few minutes before using. Store extras in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or 3 months in the freezer. In a large salad bowl, combine the

olive oil, lemon juice, honey, mustard and Tabasco and season with salt and pepper. Whisk until emulsified, then taste and adjust the seasoning. In the salad bowl with the dressing, combine

the romaine lettuce, kale, chicken, avocado, feta, dill and walnuts. Toss until all the ingredients are evenly combined and coated with dressing and serve. _Excerpted from _The Salad Lab_.

Copyright © 2024, Darlene Schrijver. Photography Copyright © 2023 by Erin Kunkel. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, LLC. All rights reserved._