Cooking

Looks beautiful, tastes great.

This is a variation on a salad that was served on the specials board at the Nordstrom Cafe last month. It might not be an exact replica — I’ve seen several different “authentic” Nordstrom recipes online, all slightly different — but it’s colorful, flavorful and one of the best main dish salads that I’ve ever eaten.

Ingredients

• 1 whole shallot, peeled
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1.5 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 cup champagne vinegar (I used an orange-champagne vinegar from Trader Joe’s)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
• Stone fruits (peaches, plums, nectarines) sliced thin; one of each should be enough for four salads
• Leftover roasted chicken or rotisserie chicken, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• Lettuce (I prefer a mix of romaine for crunch and red leaf for color)
• Slivered almonds for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Add the first eight ingredients (through freshly ground pepper) into a food processor. Pulse until garlic and shallot chunks are no longer visible.

Add a small quantity of dressing to lettuce and toss to coat. Add more until you achieve the desired amount. There should be plenty for four salads with a bit left over.

Divide lettuce onto four plates. Add a handful of chopped chicken. Decoratively arrange fruit slices in a fancy pattern and sprinkle with nuts.

Results

It’s a truly impressive-looking salad for adults, and even my Tiny Kitchen Assistant was pretty excited about the fact that I had used the food processor (one of his favorite kitchen tools) and made “a beautiful dinner!” If you have a lettuce-averse child, like I do, serve the chicken and sliced fruits separately for a nice standalone meal.

Tags: champagne vinegar, chicken, guest-worthy, nectarines, peaches, plums, salad, vinaigrette

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