Strawberry Summer Salad with Chicken, Bacon, and Poppyseed Dressing

Fresh, flavorful, easy - that's this salad in a nutshell! It's full of summer flavors like juicy blueberries & strawberries, grilled chicken, fresh greens, and a quick poppyseed dressing. Serve this up for every picnic and cook-out from now until Labor Day!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Healthy Food

Keyword Summer Salad, Summer Strawberry Salad, 4th of July Recipes, Easy Potluck Recipes, Easy Cook Out Recipes, Easy Side Dishes

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings servings

Calories 547kcal

Author Stephanie Simmons

Ingredients

Salad

3 cups mixed greens I used a mix of arugula, spinach, and butter lettuce
1 lb chicken breast, seasoned + cooked see note below about how I cook mine without a grill
1/4 cup pecans
3 slices cooked bacon, chopped
2 cups fresh strawberries, rinsed and sliced
1 and 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed
1/2 cup feta cheese

Poppyseed Dresing

4 TBSP white wine vinegar
4 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP water
3-4 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP poppyseeds
2 tsp honey mustard
pinch of salt

Instructions

Prep: Cook your chicken and bacon. We like to do our bacon in the oven, according to package directions. I like to season the chicken breast with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add 1 TBSP olive oil to a medium pan on the stove top over medium heat and cook chicken 4-6 minutes on each side, until done in the middle (no pink!). OR grill your chicken!
Dressing: Add all dressing ingredients (starting with only 3 TBSP sugar) to a mason jar, tightly screw on the lid, and shake for a minute to combine everything. Taste, and add the extra TBSP of sugar if desired.
Salad: Assemble the salad - start with your greens - roughly chop them - then add the chicken, bacon, pecans, berries, and cheese. Add the dressing just before serving.
Make Ahead + Serving Tips: I do NOT recommend assembling the salad ahead of time. You can have the individual components prepped (slice the strawberries, cook and slice the chicken and bacon, etc.) a day ahead, but wait until just before serving to assemble the salad.
You can always leave the dressing on the side so people can add as much or as little as they want. Same with the meat, nuts, or cheese to accommodate people with dietary restrictions.
Store: Store leftovers, covered tightly, in the fridge for 2-3 days. It's best enjoyed closest to the day it was made.

Nutrition

Calories: 547kcal