Strawberry Poppy Seed Chicken Salad (Printable Version)

Vibrant salad with tender chicken, sweet strawberries, crisp cucumber, and creamy poppy seed dressing. Light, refreshing, and easy to prepare.

# What You Need:

→ 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

# How-to 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 12-15 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 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 comes together in seconds and tastes infinitely better than anything store bought
  • Poaching the chicken keeps it incredibly tender and mild, letting the other ingredients shine
  • This salad looks stunning on a platter but requires almost zero actual cooking
02 -
  • The dressing tastes even better after it sits for 30 minutes, so make it first and let the flavors meld
  • Slicing the cucumber and onion as thinly as possible completely changes the eating experience
  • This salad needs to be dressed right before serving or the greens will start to wilt
03 -
  • Pat the shredded chicken dry with paper towels before adding it so the dressing clings instead of sliding off
  • Toast the almonds in a dry pan over medium heat, watching closely since they go from golden to burned in seconds
Go Back