This Strawberry Poppy Seed Chicken Salad is fresh, flavorful, and perfect for spring and summer! Made with juicy strawberries, tender chicken, crunchy toppings, and the BEST poppy seed dressing.
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If you’re craving something fresh, vibrant and packed with flavor, this Strawberry Poppy Seed Chicken Salad is about to become your new go-to! The perfect balance of sweet, savory and crunchy, all tossed together in a light, homemade poppy seed dressing that tastes so much better than anything store-bought. Juicy strawberries, tender chicken, creamy avocado, and crunchy toppings all tossed together for the perfect meal-sized salad the whole family will love!
Why You’ll Love This
Packed with flavor – everything is finely chopped so you get the perfect mix of ingredients in every bite!
Quick and easy – this whole salad easily comes together in about 15 minutes making it perfect for busy days when you still want something fresh and satisfying.
Customizable – you can easily make this to your liking whether you need to adjust it based on what you have on hand or your dietary preferences.
Great for meal prep – this salad hold up well when stored in sealed, airtight containers making this perfect for lunches!
Ingredients You’ll Need
strawberries – the star of this recipe! Sweet, juicy and perfect for pairing with the tangy dressy.
leafy greens – I used a combination of fresh baby spinach leaves and fresh arugula for this salad.
chicken – tender diced or shredded chicken breasts add protein and make this salad filling. Leftover rotisserie chicken would work great too for convenience.
red onion – adds a sharp, slightly sweet bite that brings a little zing to this salad. For a milder flavor, you can soak small red onion slices in cold water for a few minutes.
avocado – ripe avocado adds a creaminess to this salad that balances the savory ingredients while adding healthy fats.
almonds – toasted slivered almonds add a delicious crunch and nutty flavor to this salad. Toasting really brings out their richness so don’t skip this step!
feta cheese – crumbled feta cheese ties everything together and is salty, creamy and slightly tangy.
poppy seed dressing – a combination of olive oil, red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, poppy seeds, salt and pepper.
How to Make Strawberry Poppy Seed Chicken Salad
Toast the almonds. In a small skillet over medium heat, add the slivered almonds. Toast for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool.
Make 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 fully combined and emulsified. Set aside.
Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, add the spinach and arugula. Top with the cooked chicken, sliced strawberries, diced avocado, red onion, toasted almonds and crumbled feta.
Dress and serve. Drizzle the poppy seed dressing over the salad just before serving and toss gently to combine. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Strawberry Poppy Seed Chicken Salad
Use fresh, ripe strawberries – the sweeter the strawberries, the better the overall flavor!
Don’t skip toasting the almonds – the toasted almonds add a huge flavor boost and crunch to this salad.
Let the dressing sit for a few minutes – this allows the flavors to meld together and make the salad taste better overall.
Slice the red onion thinly – this keeps it from overpowering the salad. For a milder flavor, you can soak small red onion slices in cold water for a few minutes.
Add avocado last – this helps prevent the avocado from getting mushy when tossing the salad.
Serve immediately after dressing – this keeps the greens fresh and crisp. No one wants to eat a soggy salad!
Season your chicken well – if cooking fresh chicken, add a little salt, pepper, and garlic powder for extra flavor. My air fryer chicken breast would taste great on this salad!
Variations
Switch up the protein – chicken is perfect here and some good options include grilled chicken, leftover rotisserie chicken, and air fryer chicken. You could use grilled shrimp, salmon, leftover turkey, or chickpeas for a plant-based protein option.
Change up the cheese – feta is classic in this salad, but other options include goat cheese, crumbled blue cheese, mozzarella pearls or shaved parmesan.
Make it heartier – to make this salad even more filling, try adding in some cooked quinoa, farro, brown rice or even a little orzo pasta.
Mix up the fruit – you can also add blueberries, raspberries, mandarin oranges, apples, pears or even dried cranberries to mix things up.
Swap the nuts – almonds add great texture, but you can also try candied walnuts or pecans, cashews or even sunflower seeds for an added crunch.
Add creaminess – if you love a creamy texture, try adding in more avocado slices, toss in a spoonful of creamy goat cheese or you can add a tablespoon or two of Greek yogurt to the poppy seed dressing.
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Prepping and Storage
To Prep – you can easily prep all the ingredients ahead of time and store separately in the refrigerator until assembling. Slice strawberries and onions, cook the chicken, toast the almonds, and make the dressing in advance.
To Store – you can store this salad undressed in a sealed, airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge. Just keep the dressing in a separate container and add just before serving. The avocado is best added fresh to prevent browning.
More Spring Salads
Blackened Shrimp and Corn Salad
Hope you all enjoy this Italian Chopped Salad recipe! If you love this salad as much as we do, please leave a star rating below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny!