Strawberry Poppy Seed Chicken Salad (Printable)

A refreshing salad with tender chicken, sweet strawberries, crisp vegetables, and creamy poppy seed dressing. Ready in 35 minutes.

# Ingredient List:

→ Chicken

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

→ Salad

04 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
05 - 1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced
06 - 4 cups mixed salad greens (spinach, arugula, 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

# Directions:

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 to 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 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 mixture and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
05 - Top with crumbled feta cheese if using and toasted almonds. Serve immediately or chill for 20 minutes for a colder presentation.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The poppy seed dressing comes together in literally two minutes and keeps in the fridge for days
  • Its one of those rare salads that actually feels substantial enough to call dinner
02 -
  • The salad gets soggy if dressed more than an hour before serving, so keep that dressing separate until the last possible moment
  • Room temperature strawberries taste way better than cold ones straight from the fridge
03 -
  • Buy strawberries that smell like actual strawberries, that perfume is your best quality indicator
  • If your onion feels too aggressive, soak the slices in ice water for ten minutes while you prep everything else
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