Sautéed radicchio, fennel and carrots are topped with chicken, walnuts and Gorgonzola in this warm and hearty main-dish salad. Serve with crusty whole-grain baguette.

Makes 4 servings, about 2 1/4 cups each

ACTIVE TIME: 35 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pears, sliced
2 small shallots, minced
6 tablespoons sherry vinegar
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3 cups shredded cooked turkey or chicken (12 ounces; see Tip)
1 large head radicchio, thinly sliced
1 large fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced
2 large carrots, cut into matchsticks
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted (see Tip)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
12 large butterhead or Boston lettuce leaves
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or goat cheese

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add pears and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
2. Whisk shallots, vinegar and mustard in a small bowl; add to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add turkey (or chicken), radicchio, fennel, carrots and walnuts. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just wilted, about 3 minutes. Return the pears to the pan and season with salt and pepper.
3. Divide lettuce leaves among 4 plates. Top with the warm salad and sprinkle with cheese.

Serves 2 Variation: Halve the ingredients and prepare the recipe in a large nonstick skillet instead of a Dutch oven.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 384 calories; 15 g fat (4 g sat, 6 g mono); 83 mg cholesterol; 32 g carbohydrate; 33 g protein; 9 g fiber; 548 mg sodium; 1,284 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (160% daily value), Vitamin C (45% dv), Potassium (37% dv), Folate (31% dv), Calcium & Iron (20% dv).
1 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1 fruit, 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 2 fat

TIP: Tips: To poach chicken breasts, place boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a medium skillet or saucepan. Add lightly salted water to cover and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 10 to 12 minutes.

Place chopped walnuts in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

I don't agree with Susan at all! This salad had a wonderful combination of flavors with the bitter radicchio, pungent gorgonzola and walnuts, YUM! It didn't hold well, though.

Tamara, Petaluma, CA

This is the strangest Eating Well recipe I've ever tried. I am a fan of their recipes, but lately they are not as reliable. This is an example. The taste was ok - with the preparation a bit odd - but the presntation...oh my! It looked like something ready to go on the compost heap. Definitely will not make this again.

Susan

Other than cutting the pear in bite sized pieces, I'll be making this again as written. Presentation wasn't the most appealing, but the combination of flavors make this one a keeper.

fsdn, Birmingham, AL