This Chicken Gouda Pear Salad is a delicious mix of sweet juicy pear, gouda, tender chicken, crunchy pumpkin seeds and baby greens, all tossed together with a mustard, lemon and maple dressing. It's light, colourful and packed with flavour, while still being filling enough for lunch or dinner.
Perfect for warmer days or busy evenings when you want something fresh but light, this salad has a great balance of sweet, savoury and crunchy in every bite.
Calories in Chicken, Gouda and Pear Salad
This recipe serves 2 and is 523 calories per serving.
If you're looking for more recipes by calories, you'll find plenty of options grouped by calorie range here: Slimming Eats Low Calorie Recipes
If you're following a calorie-controlled diet or a healthy eating plan, it's important to calculate your daily calorie needs using a reliable calorie calculator. The calorie counts provided are estimates and can vary depending on the exact ingredients and portion sizes you use. Using your own calculations helps ensure you're meeting your individual needs. A calorie calculator can help you make informed choices and stay on track with your goals.
See the recipe card for full nutritional estimation.
Ingredients Notes
To make this recipe you will need the following ingredients:
- Leftover Rotisserie Chicken: Perfect for using up leftover rotisserie and adds plenty of protein to make the salad more filling.
- Spring Mix (Baby Greens): A light mix of baby salad leaves works best here for freshness and colour. Use your favourite blend.
- Ripe Pear: Adds a lovely sweetness that pairs perfectly with the smoky gouda and sharp dressing. Choose a pear that is ripe but still slightly firm.
- Gouda: Creamy gouda adds a rich savoury flavour to the salad. Smoked gouda works especially well if you want even more flavour.
- Red Onion :Adds a little sharpness and crunch that balances the sweetness of the pear and maple dressing.
- Carrot: Brings extra crunch and colour. Shred or julienne for the best texture.
- Pumpkin Seeds: Add a delicious crunch and nutty flavour. Toasting them lightly first adds even more flavour.
For the Dressing:
- Red Wine Vinegar - Adds a sharp tangy flavour to the dressing that works perfectly with the sweet pear, smoky gouda and maple syrup.
- Mustard: Adds a little sharpness and helps emulsify the dressing. Dijon mustard works best.
- Olive Oil: Forms the base of the dressing and adds richness.
- Maple Syrup: Adds a touch of sweetness that works perfectly with the pear and mustard.
- Salt and Black Pepper: Essential for seasoning and bringing all the flavours together.
- Garlic Powder: Adds a gentle savoury flavour to the dressing without overpowering the salad.
Once you've gathered all the ingredients and prepared them accordingly, you're all set to create this easy and delightful recipe.
See the recipe card for specific quantities and instructions.
Variations and Substitutes
There are lots of easy ways to switch this salad up depending on what you have on hand or how filling you want to make it.
- Add Bacon - Crispy bacon works so well in this salad and adds an extra savoury salty flavour that pairs perfectly with the sweet pear and maple dressing.
- Swap the Cheese - Gouda can easily be swapped for edam, cheddar, mozzarella pearls, feta or even blue cheese if you like a stronger flavour.
- Use Apple Instead of Pear - Crisp apple is a great substitute and keeps the salad fresh and crunchy. Honeycrisp or Pink Lady work especially well.
- Add Grains or Pasta - To make this salad even more filling, add some cooked pasta, quinoa, farro or couscous.
- Try Different Nuts and Seeds - Pumpkin seeds can be swapped for walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds or sliced almonds for a different crunch.
- Cook your own chicken - Rotisserie chicken is so convenient for recipes like this, but feel free to use your own leftover roast chicken or cooked up some chicken breast or thighs with your choice of seasoning and shred up to add to the salad.
- Add Extra Veg - Cucumber, avocado, sliced radishes, bell peppers or roasted butternut squash all work really well in this salad. You can also use different greens such as spinach or rocket (arugula)
- Make it Vegetarian - Leave out the chicken and add chickpeas or crispy roasted halloumi instead.
- Switch the Dressing - Try balsamic vinegar instead of lemon juice for a slightly richer dressing, or add a little honey instead of maple syrup if preferred.
- Try a Creamy Dressing Instead - Swap the lemon maple dressing for a creamy version made with plain yoghurt or light mayonnaise mixed with garlic powder, onion powder, dried herbs, salt and black pepper. It gives the salad a richer flavour while still keeping it fresh and light.
- Add Roasted Sweet Potato or Butternut Squash - Roasted sweet potato or butternut squash makes this salad even more hearty and adds extra sweetness that works perfectly with the gouda, pear and maple dressing. Great if you want to turn it into more of a filling dinner salad.
Make Ahead
This salad is great for meal prep or making ahead for lunches during the week. To keep everything fresh and crisp, store the dressing separately and add it just before serving.
You can prep the chicken, carrot, red onion and dressing ahead of time and keep them refrigerated in airtight containers for up to 3 days. Slice the pear just before serving if possible to stop it browning.
When ready to enjoy, simply add everything to a large bowl, drizzle over the dressing and toss together until well combined.
More Salad Recipes
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Recipe Card
Chicken, Gouda and Pear Salad
This Chicken Gouda Pear Salad is a fresh and flavour packed salad with tender chicken, gouda, sweet pear, crunchy pumpkin seeds and a tangy maple mustard dressing.
Ingredients
- 150g (5.2oz) of rotisserie chicken, roughly shredded
- 80g (2.8oz) of spring mix (baby greens)
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 small carrot, julienned
- 1 ripe large pear, sliced thinly
- 60g (2oz) of gouda cheese, cubed
- 2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds
For the dressing:
- 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tablespoon of wholegrain mustard
- 2 teaspoon of maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
- pinch of salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Add the baby greens to a large plate, and scatter with the chicken, pear, gouda, red onion, carrot and pumpkin seeds.
- Add the dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until combined
- When ready to enjoy, drizzle with the dressing and enjoy
Notes
Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:
- Calories - scroll down to nutritional info box
- WW Points and other Slimming or Weight Loss programs - due to plans regularly changing and updating, we recommend calculating with the official tools you get as a member to those plans to ensure accuracy of values.
- Gluten Free Friendly
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Nutrition Information
Yield
2Serving Size
1 SERVINGAmount Per Serving Calories 427Total Fat 19gSaturated Fat 7gUnsaturated Fat 17gCholesterol 105mgSodium 498mgCarbohydrates 32gFiber 6gSugar 18gProtein 33g
Nutritional information and values etc are an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information. It is always advised that you calculate by the ingredients you use.
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