Strawberry Chicken Summer Salad

Strawberry Chicken Summer Salad

by Julie
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Strawberry Chicken Summer Salad is perfect for summer….or if you’re just craving summer!

Just one hour ago I was outside.  Throwing snowballs with my sons and taking pictures of a rarity here in eastern North Carolina.  Snow.  We usually get a dusting each year, a decent snowfall to play a bit in every 2-3 years, and a big ice/snowstorm every 3-5 years.  So it’s enough snow to have fun, but not so much that you’re annoyed by it.

For me, anyway.

It was a fun little jaunt out in the snow to make snow angels, throw snowballs, watch the dog romp around, find deer tracks, and just enjoy the beauty of a frozen landscape.  And watching the birds go bonkers for the new seed in the bird feeder?  Magical.  I could watch them all day.

But I have to admit, I’ve got a bad case of spring fever.

I get it every year around this time.  This year in particular, though, has been more intense.  I got pretty sick with a bad cold and spent more than a few days in my sick bed binge-watching gardening shows on Amazon with BritBox.  I love all things gardening.  And temperate weather is my jam, so spring is one of my favorite times of the year (also fall).

Summer, less so.

But one thing about summer time is absolutely delicious, and that’s the strawberries.  Okay, technically they are harvesting here in late spring.  But our late spring is another region’s summer, if you’re going by temperature.  It can be pretty hot here in May!

strawberry chicken summer salad

So I’ve been craving a fresh, summery salad.  And this Strawberry Summer Chicken Salad, inspired by Cafe Zupa’s Strawberry Harvest Salad, certainly fits the bill.  Granted, it will be more flavorful when it’s actually summer and the berries are sweeter.  But, in a pinch in the middle of winter, I can still enjoy every bite using out-of-season strawberries.

I think adding in some blueberries couldn’t hurt!  I don’t have amounts listed for the main salad ingredients because, in my opinion, salad ingredient ratio is highly subjective!  But the candied pecan amounts are enough for 3-4 salads, and the dressing is enough for LOTS of salads! Pair Strawberry Chicken Summer Salad with some delicious breadsticks and you’ve got a great meal.  To serve it as a side salad, omit the chicken.  Either way, the combination of flavors will have you dreaming of summer!

Strawberry Chicken Summer Salad

Craving summer? Look no further than this fresh salad filled with fruit, candied nuts, cheese, and chicken dressed with strawberry vinaigrette.
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Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup pecan pieces
  • 1-2 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1/2 Tbsp. butter
  • your favorite salad mix
  • strawberries, hulled and sliced
  • crumbled feta cheese
  • thinly sliced apple
  • Craisins
  • roughly chopped cooked chicken (optional)

  • Dressing:
  • 1 cup red wine vinegar
  • 8 strawberries
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 to 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup canola or mild tasting oil
Directions
Step 1
Candy the pecans by adding the pecans, brown sugar, and butter to a small non-stick skillet. Over medium to medium-low heat, stir the mixture together constantly until the sugar melts. This should take a few minutes. Transfer to waxed paper or onto a plate to cool while you assemble the salad.
Step 2
Make the vinaigrette dressing by combining all the dressing ingredients EXCEPT the oil in a blender. Blend it well. Then while blending on low, SLOWLY drizzle in the oil until it’s all incorporated. Store the leftover in a mason jar in the fridge.
Step 3
Assemble the salad by drizzling a bit of dressing in your salad plate or bowl then topping with your salad mix, fruits, cheese, pecans, and chicken. Drizzle with more dressing and serve right away.

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