Strawberry Chicken Salad Recipe

It's lunchtime and you're about to heat up a beautiful bowl of homemade butternut squash soup and a side of sautéed kale with garlic. And that is certainly one way to make the most of autumn's bounty. But it's not the only way to go as the weather grows colder and the days get shorter, points out Hayley MacLean, the blogger and recipe developer behind Happy Healthy Hayley. That's where this strawberry chicken salad comes into the picture, adding some color and sweetness to your day. 

Composed of freshly grilled chicken, juxtaposed with sweet strawberries and the earthy umami flavor of goat cheese, and drizzled with a homemade Champagne and shallot vinaigrette, this salad delivers a bright, exuberant flavor and fresh spring vibes to your table even on a dark autumn day. It simply "hits all the marks," MacLean explains. She adds, "It is healthy and filling but won't weigh you down throughout the day." 

To make MacLean's strawberry chicken salad, you'll need ingredients for the salad and the dressing. Let's start with the dressing, for which you will need: ⅓ cup of Champagne vinegar, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of honey, 1 small shallot (minced), ⅔ cup of extra virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. 

For the salad, you'll need 4 cups of fresh baby spinach, 2 cups of strawberries, halved, ¼ cup of red onion (quartered and thinly sliced), 4 tablespoons of pecans (chopped), 1 ounce of crumbled goat cheese, and 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. For the chicken, you'll be seasoning it with ¼ teaspoon of paprika and pan-frying it in 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil (so altogether, you will need 2 teaspoons plus ⅔ cup of extra virgin olive oil).

If you have not yet minced the shallots, now is the time. Start by peeling the shallot and slicing off the non-root end. Lay it flat and slice in one direction, then the other, repeating until you've minced the shallot into tiny pieces. In a medium mixing bowl, make the dressing by whisking together the minced shallots with the Champagne vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, and ⅔ of a cup of olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste, then set the dressing aside until it is time to dress the salad. 

Season the chicken breasts on both sides with paprika and a pinch of salt and pepper. Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, carefully place the seasoned chicken breasts in the hot pan, leaving a little space between, and let them cook until a thermometer inserted at the thickest point reads at least 165 F. At this point, the meat should appear golden brown on each side (this should take about 10 to 12 minutes in total). Once the chicken is cooked, let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes at room temperature before slicing it into ½-inch strips (use a sharp chef's knife for this).

All that is left now is to assemble and dress your strawberry chicken salad. Begin by dividing the baby spinach leaves evenly between two salad bowls or plates. Then, distribute the strawberries, red onion, and pecans evenly over the spinach leaves. Top each bowl or plate with half of the chicken breast slices. Sprinkle everything with crumbled goat cheese. Serve with the dressing on the side for drizzling to taste. Leftover dressing (which MacLean predicts you may have) can be refrigerated for use in the next seven days.