Chicken, apples, cranberries, pecans, feta, and spinach with a sharp maple Dijon cider dressing. This is the recipe pretending the rest of the week has vegetables handled.

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Chicken and Orzo

1 lb orzo

2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs

1 Tbsp olive oil

1½ tsp kosher salt, divided

1 tsp black pepper, divided

½ tsp garlic powder

5 oz baby spinach, roughly chopped

2 crisp apples, cored and diced (no need to peel, I like the color)

¾ c dried cranberries

¾ c pecans, toasted and roughly chopped

6 oz feta, crumbled

½ c chopped flat leaf parsley

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Apple Cider Dressing

½ c extra virgin olive oil

¼ c apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp maple syrup

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 small shallot, finely minced

1 Tbsp lemon juice

½ tsp kosher salt

¼ tsp black pepper

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1. Boil the orzo in well salted water until just al dente. Drain, rinse briefly with cool water, and spread on a sheet pan to cool. Toss with 1 tsp olive oil so it doesn't clump up on you.

2. Pat the chicken dry and season with 1 tsp salt, ¾ tsp pepper, and the garlic powder. Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until browned and the thickest piece reaches 160⁰-165°F. Rest for at least 5 minutes, then dice.

3. Dressing: Whisk the dressing ingredients until emulsified. Taste it on a piece of apple, not your finger, because the salad is actually a bit sweeter than the dressing itself.

4. Combine the cooled orzo, chicken, spinach, apples, cranberries, pecans, feta, and parsley. Toss with ~⅔ dressing. Add more only as needed.

Storage & Reheating:

Store: Refrigerate up to 4 days. The apples stay fresher when fully coated with dressing. For maximum texture, divide the salad among 6-8 containers and pack the remaining dressing and some pecans separately. If making all six portions for one person, consider holding back half the spinach and apples and add them to the last three portions midweek. They'll taste fresher.

Do not freeze the salad, I haven't tried it but I'm confident it will be gross.

Reheat: Eat cold or let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Add a splash of dressing before serving.

Tags: apple, chicken, dressing, egg-free, eggless, lunch, make-ahead, Mediterranean, orzo, salad

Bare Minimum - Substack (September 19, 2026)