Garden Harvest Salad with Smoky Walnut Dressing

If you’re in need of a nutrient-dense lunch, turn to this easily customizable garden harvest salad.

We’ve packed this salad with all the fresh and crunchy ingredients you’re craving. Mixed greens are topped with juicy roasted chicken, freshly roasted walnuts, avocado, and blueberries, and topped with a smoky paprika-spiked dressing you’ll want to mix up again and again.

This recipe is a great way to use up leftover chicken. If you don’t normally have chicken in the fridge, you can plan ahead and roast a whole chicken in advance, or simply double up on your favorite chicken recipe and save some for later. If you need some inspiration, try these chicken thighs seasoned with cumin and black pepper.

To make the rest of the salad, we mixed up our favorite greens and veggies—but you can customize with whatever you have on hand. For mixed greens, we used a cup each of chopped lettuce, kale, and arugula, and for veggies we used tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli sprouts, and bell peppers. Feel free to swap in your favorite greens, or try another combination of fresh veggies. Mushrooms, red onions, and hard-boiled eggs all make very good options. Of course, we highly recommend that you include the blueberries and avocado, as they are some of the best nutrient-dense foods out there.

Whatever you choose, just be sure to select fresh, organic ingredients to ensure the highest nutrient density when preparing this salad.

One ingredient is definitely non-negotiable: the roasted walnuts. These add hot, crunchy flavor to a salad that can quickly get boring otherwise. When roasting your walnuts, be sure to shake the pan every few minutes to ensure even cooking and to prevent burning. Set the walnuts aside to cool while you chop up and assemble the rest of the greens.

Finally, this salad is topped with a zesty vinaigrette made with shallots, walnut oil, orange juice, parsley, and smoked paprika. You can shake up these ingredients at the end, but we recommend that you mix it up first, while the oven preheats for the roasted walnuts. That way, the dressing flavors have married nicely by the time you serve your garden salad!

Tip: If you have leftovers, be sure to store your dressing separately from the salad to prevent it from getting soggy in the refrigerator.

For hundreds of pure Paleo recipes be sure to check out  The Real Paleo Diet Cookbook  and  The Real Paleo Diet Fast and Easy.