Chicken Salad with Strawberries and Poppyseed

This Strawberry Poppy Seed Chicken Salad is vibrant, delicious, and ideal for the spring and summer seasons! Crafted with succulent strawberries, tender chicken, crunchy toppings, and the FINEST poppy seed dressing.

If you’re looking for something light, colorful, and bursting with taste, this Strawberry Poppy Seed Chicken Salad is about to become your favorite choice! It embodies the perfect mix of sweet, savory, and crunchy textures, all delicately combined in a refreshing, homemade poppy seed dressing that surpasses anything from the store. Juicy strawberries, soft chicken, smooth avocado, and crunchy toppings make this an ideal meal-sized salad that everyone in the family will adore!

Why You’ll Adore This

• Fresh and flavorsome – succulent strawberries, savory chicken, creamy avocado, and zesty feta unite for an impeccable flavor combination.
• Simple and quick – this entire salad comes together effortlessly in about 15 minutes, making it perfect for hectic days when you desire something fresh and fulfilling.
• Adjustable to your taste – you can easily tailor this salad to your preferences based on what you have available or your dietary needs.
• Excellent for meal preparation – this salad maintains its quality well when kept in sealed, airtight containers, making it perfect for lunches!

Ingredients You’ll Require

• strawberries – the highlight of this dish! Sweet, juicy, and perfect for complementing the tangy dressing.
• leafy greens – I used a blend of fresh baby spinach leaves and arugula for this dish, but feel free to choose your preferred type of salad greens.
• chicken – tender diced or shredded chicken breasts provide protein and make the salad hearty. Leftover rotisserie chicken is also a convenient option.
• red onion – introduces a sharp, slightly sweet kick that adds excitement to the salad. For a more subdued taste, soak small red onion slices in cold water for a few moments.
• avocado – ripe avocado brings creaminess to this salad, balancing the savory components while incorporating healthy fats.
• almonds – toasted slivered almonds bring a delightful crunch and nutty taste to this dish. Toasting enhances their richness, so don’t skip this step!
• feta cheese – crumbled feta brings everything together, offering a salty, creamy, and slightly tangy element.
• poppy seed dressing – a blend of olive oil, red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, poppy seeds, salt, and pepper.

How to Prepare Strawberry Poppy Seed Chicken Salad

1. Toast the almonds. In a small skillet over medium heat, add the slivered almonds. Toast for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they turn lightly golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
2. Prepare the dressing. In a small bowl or jar with a lid, combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, honey, poppy seeds, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Whisk or shake until thoroughly mixed and emulsified. Set aside.
3. Combine the salad. In a large bowl, mix the spinach and arugula. Add the cooked chicken, sliced strawberries, diced avocado, red onion, toasted almonds, and crumbled feta on top.
4. Dress and serve. Drizzle the poppy seed dressing over the salad just before serving and gently toss to combine. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Tips for the Ultimate Strawberry Poppy Seed Chicken Salad

• Opt for fresh, ripe strawberries – the sweeter the strawberries, the better the overall taste!
• Don’t skip the toasting of the almonds – toasted almonds add significant flavor and crunch to this salad.
• Allow the dressing to sit for a few moments – this helps the flavors combine nicely and improves the overall taste of the salad.
• Slice the red onion thinly – this prevents it from overwhelming the salad. For milder flavors, soak the small red onion slices in cold water for a few moments.
• Add avocado at the end – this prevents the avocado from becoming mushy during the tossing process.
• Serve right after dressing – this keeps the greens crisp and fresh. Nobody wants to eat a soggy salad!
• Season your chicken well – if cooking fresh chicken, include a bit of salt, pepper, and garlic powder for added flavor. My air fryer chicken breast would taste fantastic in this salad!

Variations

• Change the protein – chicken works perfectly here, and you can use grilled chicken, leftover rotisserie chicken, or air fryer chicken. Grilled shrimp, salmon, leftover turkey, or chickpeas could also serve as plant-based protein alternatives.
• Switch the cheese – feta is classic in this salad, but alternatives include goat cheese, crumbled blue cheese, mozzarella pearls, or shaved parmesan.
• Make it heartier – to enhance this salad’s filling quality, consider adding cooked quinoa, farro, brown rice, or even orzo pasta.
• Incorporate different fresh fruits – blueberries, raspberries, mandarin oranges, apples, pears, or even dried cranberries can be added for variety.
• Change the nuts – while almonds provide excellent texture, you can also experiment with candied walnuts, pecans, cashews, or sunflower seeds for an added crunch.
• Enhance creaminess – if you enjoy a creamy feel, consider adding more avocado slices, incorporating a spoonful of creamy goat cheese, or mixing in a tablespoon or two of Greek yogurt or mayo into the poppy seed dressing.

Preparation and Storage

• To Prepare – you can effortlessly prep all the ingredients in advance and store them separately in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble. Slice strawberries and onions, cook the chicken, toast the almonds, and make the dressing ahead of time.
• To Store – this salad can be kept undressed in a sealed, airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge. Just store the dressing in a separate container and drizzle it right before serving. The avocado is best added fresh to avoid browning.

More Spring Salads

I hope you all love this Strawberry Poppy Seed Chicken Salad! If you enjoy this salad as much as we do, please give a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny!