Truth be told, I never thought I would be saying this about a salad, but I am majorly crushing on this salad! I mean not only is it so colorful, but so tasty too—just the way healthy eating should be.  This salad seriously makes me happy, and happy foods are the best right!?

I was sorta in a funk the past week when it comes to being creative with our weekly dinners, but then I made this herbed butternut squash rice (oh my its amazing) and this salad and now I feel like I can happily eat all the veggies! I am totally making this for Thanksgiving, along with the smoked turkey, grain-free stuffing and pumpkin cheesecake from my cookbook All American Paleo Table!

I am just loving pears right now and have been topping salads with them all week and sometimes yogurt with toasted coconut and pears for a simple dessert! I find that I am far more likely to make and eat salads when I keep fun toppings on hand, so it is pears and prosciutto right now!  This salad is seriously so good—I know, I know I keep saying that, but seriously it is!

Here’s the deal—if you are more of a eat-all-the-foods-separately, you can make the salad and put the chicken and sweet potatoes off to the side, which is more what my husband likes, and me sometimes too, so your options are endless—but I must say tossed together it’s simple perfect!

(Thank you Go Raw for sponsoring this post, all thoughts and opinions are uniquely my own!)

Plates & Styling: turquoise salad plates | Staub oven roasting pan | white cereal bowl | round wood & marble serving tray

Fall Chop Salad with Herb Roasted Chicken, Pears and Prosciutto

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato + olive oil, s & p for roasting
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 lbs skin-on chicken thighs*
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 8 slices prosciutto
• 1 pear, thinly sliced
• 1 head romaine or butter leaf lettuce
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds (I used Go Raw‘s sprouted sunflower seeds)

Champagne Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and warm a large skillet to medium heat drizzling in one tablespoon of olive oil.
• Chop the sweet potatoes into small cubes, drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste.  Roast for 40 minutes, stirring halfway through.
• Meanwhile, pat the chicken dry with paper towels, coat the chicken with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
• Sear the chicken, skin-side down, in the skillet for 4 minutes.  Place in a roasting dish, drizzling all the juices on top.  Sprinkle the fresh herbs on top.  Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes.
• Prepare the salad dressing by mixing together all ingredients and set aside.
• Just a few minutes before your sweet potatoes and chicken are done roasting, tear the prosciutto into small pieces and place on a parchment line baking sheet.  Bake for 4-5 minutes or until crispy, watching carefully so it does not burn.
• Allow the chicken and sweet potatoes to cool for several minutes before assembling, tossing and serving!

*Your chicken will probably have bones in it, so I like to slice it into strips, removing the bone after it has cooked and cooled for several minutes.