Strawberry Poppyseed Salad with Chicken

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This fresh and vibrant Strawberry Poppyseed Salad with Roast Chicken is the perfect mix of sweet and savory! Juicy strawberries, crunchy almonds, and a tangy poppy seed dressing pair beautifully with tender roast chicken, creating a light yet satisfying meal that’s perfect for anytime of day.

I love to make this salad when I'm dying for something fresh and zingy but I'm limited on time. You can prepare the salad and poppy seed dressing right in the bowl in a single serving, or you can prepare it for your family or for entertaining.

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FAQ's:
Strawberry Poppyseed Salad with Chicken

Ingredients:

strawberries
rotisserie chicken
salad mix and fresh basil
red onions
feta cheese
sliced almonds
poppy seed dressing: champagne vinegar, agave, mayo, lemon juice, poppy seeds, avocado oil, shallots, salt and pepper

Equipment:

I like to use these mini whisks for preparing my salad dressings! Alternatively, if you like to shake your salad dressings, check out this neat juicer dressing bottle!

Steps to Prepare:

Chop all of the ingredients and drop the onions into a small bowl of water if desired. (Placing raw red onions in water just helps remove a little bit of the bite and hydrates them slightly.)

Start with preparing the Poppy Seed Dressing. Combine the vinegar, agave, mayo, poppy seeds, ground mustard, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine and slowly add in the avocado oil in a thin drizzle while whisking until you've added it all. Whisk vigorously, shake, or blend until the dressing is fully emulsified (it will change slightly in color). Add in the minced shallot and stir. Season to taste if necessary with additional salt and pepper. (If preparing the single serving, this entire process can be done within the bowl. If preparing a larger portion, prepare and store in a small mason jar with an airtight lid.)

Place desired amount of dressing and the strawberries into the serving bowl and toss to combine.

Combine the salad mix, arugula, and basil and add to the strawberries. Toss to lightly coat the lettuce with dressing.

Layer the red onion, chicken, almonds, and feta cheese and enjoy!

FAQ's:

Storage:

If you plan to store this salad, prepare the dressing separately from the rest of the ingredients. I actually recommend storing all of the ingredients separately for this. Arugula can be a fragile herb, so it wilts quickly.
If you're headed to work, the mason jar method is a great way to store a salad! Place the chicken, almonds, and cheese (the things less likely to wilt) at the bottom of the jar, then layer with the red onion, salad mix, then arugula. Store the dressing in a small serving cup or in one of these cool mason jars made specifically for mason jar salads!

Ways to Customize this Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad Further:

1. Swap the champagne vinegar for balsamic! Balsamic and strawberries are just a match made in heaven! It's fun to try this salad both ways, as the slight change in just one ingredient completely changes the way the whole salad tastes! I'd recommend some crust bread alongside this salad if you go the balsamic route!
2. Add mustard instead of mayo to the dressing! Mayo smooths this dressing out and makes it more creamy, but if you appreciate a zesty, tangy style of vinaigrette, Dijon mustard is also a great option!
3. Swap the nuts for another type! Pecans or Macadamia nuts would be amazing in this salad!
4. Bring on the berries! For fourth of July I love to add blueberries to this salad to make it more festive! Check out this picture from a hundred years ago on Instagram!

On the hunt for more great salad recipes? Check out these others from the blog!

I hope you enjoyed this Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad recipe! If you try it, please rate it and leave a comment below! (That's so helpful for my site!) I'd love to hear about your experience making it! Snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@atoastedcrumb) so I can repost it to stories!