Strawberry Poppy Seed Chicken Salad (Printable)

Tender chicken, sweet strawberries, and crispy greens tossed in a creamy poppy seed dressing. Light, refreshing, and ready in 35 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (14 oz)
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

→ Salad

04 - 1 cup strawberries, hulled and sliced
05 - 1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced
06 - 4 cups mixed salad greens (spinach, arugula, or romaine)
07 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
08 - 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese, optional
09 - 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

→ Poppy Seed Dressing

10 - 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
11 - 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
12 - 2 tablespoons honey
13 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
14 - 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
15 - 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
16 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
17 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - Place chicken breasts in a saucepan and cover with water. Add salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 12-15 minutes until fully cooked. Remove chicken, let cool slightly, and shred using two forks.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, honey, apple cider vinegar, poppy seeds, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth and well combined.
03 - In a large salad bowl, combine salad greens, shredded chicken, strawberries, cucumber, and red onion.
04 - Drizzle the poppy seed dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
05 - Top with crumbled feta cheese if using and toasted almonds.
06 - Serve immediately or refrigerate for 20 minutes for a chilled salad. Serve with crusty bread if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The creamy homemade dressing comes together in seconds and tastes infinitely better than anything store bought
  • Fresh strawberries against tender chicken create that perfect sweet and savory balance that makes summer eating feel special
02 -
  • Don't dress the salad more than 20 minutes before serving or the greens will start to wilt and lose their crunch
  • Chicken poaching liquid can be saved for soups or frozen for future recipes
03 -
  • Pat your cucumber slices dry with paper towels before adding them so they don't water down the dressing
  • Toast nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, watching closely since they go from perfect to burned quickly
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