Strawberry Poppy Seed Chicken Salad (Printable)

Tender shredded chicken paired with sweet strawberries, crisp cucumbers, and a creamy poppy seed dressing on fresh greens.

# 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 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

# Cooking steps:

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 black 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. Serve immediately or chill for 20 minutes for a colder salad.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • The creamy poppy seed dressing hits that perfect sweet tangy balance that makes you want to lick the bowl
  • Everything comes together in under 40 minutes even with shredding warm chicken with forks
02 -
  • Let the dressing sit for at least 15 minutes in the refrigerator because the flavors need time to marry and develop
  • Do not dress the salad until right before serving or the almonds will get soggy and lose their crunch
03 -
  • Pat your strawberries completely dry before slicing to prevent watery puddles at the bottom of your bowl
  • Tear larger salad greens by hand instead of cutting them with a knife to keep them from bruising and turning brown
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