Strawberry Spinach Salad with Chicken
Strawberry spinach salad with chicken, plump juicy strawberries, mandarin oranges, almonds, and feta, drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
Strawberry spinach salad with chicken is the perfect spring salad! There are many variations of this salad, like Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad or Strawberry Poppyseed Chicken Salad.
For this salad, sweet strawberries, crunchy almonds, creamy feta, and protein-packed chicken is served over leafy spinach leaves and then drizzled with Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing.
This salad is so great because you can enjoy it for lunch or dinner. Or simply omit the chicken and serve the salad at a potluck or summer BBQ.
Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this strawberry spinach salad with chicken:
- cooked chicken, grilled, roasted, or rotisserie chicken
- baby spinach
- fresh strawberries
- mandarin oranges
- red onions
- feta cheese
- roasted sliced almonds
- dried cranberries
- Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Few Shortcuts and Time Saving Tips
Make this salad in no time! Here are a few time-saving tips and shortcuts:
- Use leftover chicken, roasted chicken, grilled chicken, or rotisserie chicken. Or switch it up with any other leftover protein of choice.
- Buy washed and dried spinach leaves.
- Canned mandarin oranges are great when you don’t have time to peel and clean the fresh ones! Simply drain the syrup and add it to the salad.
- To cut on prep time, buy crumbled feta cheese and not feta in brine.
- Instead of roasting your own almonds, buy almonds that are already roasted.
- Make the Balsamic Vinaigrette in advance and keep stored in the fridge until ready to serve.
How to Make Strawberry Spinach Salad with Chicken
A large wide bowl works the best for this salad. Add spinach to the bowl and then the strawberries, mandarins, onions, feta, almonds, and cranberries. Top with chicken. Drizzle with a desired amount of dressing and serve immediately.
Substitutions and Variations
- Instead of spinach, this salad is also great over romaine lettuce. Chop it up for a crisp and crunchy base.
- Mix it up with other fresh berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries.
- Not a fan of feta? Try goat cheese or gorgonzola cheese.
- Almonds can be substituted with other nuts such as pecans, walnuts, or even sunflower seeds.
- Love a creamy dressing? Try our Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing. It pairs well with the sweet and savory flavors of this salad.
More Protein Packed Salads to Try
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Chicken
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Chop
- Cuisine: American
Description
Spinach salad with plump juicy strawberries, mandarin oranges, almonds, and feta. Topped with chicken and drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
Ingredients
- 6 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 cup fresh sliced strawberries
- 1 (4 oz.) cup mandarin oranges in syrup, drained
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onions
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 12 oz. sliced or cubed cooked chicken, grilled, roasted, or rotisserie
- Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Instructions
- In a large wide bowl, assemble the salad. Start with the bed of spinach, add the strawberries, mandarin oranges, red onions, feta, almonds, and cranberries. Top with chicken. Spoon some of the dressing over the salad. Serve immediately with additional dressing on the side.
Notes
- Substitutions: Fresh mandarin oranges can be used instead of canned. Don’t like feta? Try goat cheese or gorgonzola cheese. Instead of almonds, try pecans or walnuts. See blog post for a full list of substitutions and variations.
- Make Ahead: To make this salad in advance, prep all the ingredients and store them in separate containers. Assemble the salad just before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 606
- Sugar: 22.2 g
- Sodium: 277 mg
- Fat: 43.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 29.8 g
- Protein: 29.7 g
- Cholesterol: 80.5 mg
Keywords: spinach strawberry salad, spinach salad with chicken
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Hi! I'm Katya -- a former corporate paralegal turned full-time recipe developer and blogger behind Little Broken. Here you'll find family-friendly and seasonal recipes made from real ingredients.
