If you are looking for a quick and easy salad to serve for lunch or dinner on a hot summer day, look no further than this Strawberry Pecan Chicken & Goat Cheese Salad!  Thanks to the addition of store bought breaded chicken tenders, this is another meal that can be on your table in less than 30 minutes!  

The combination of flavors in this salad will be music to your mouth.  You have fresh sweet strawberries, crunchy nutty pecans, a little bit of sharpness from the red onion, but my absolute favorite are the little bits of goat cheese sprinkled through for a rich, tangy creaminess that puts it way over the top.  It is really heavenly!

This is an extremely versatile salad, so here are a couple of tips on substitutions for this recipe:

• You can use any of your favorite salad greens.  I love green or red leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, spinach or spring mix.  
• My favorite breaded chicken for this salad are the Crispy Chicken Strips from Tyson!  (Not a paid advertisement.)  They have a lovely breading and cook up perfectly every time, but you can definitely use whatever breaded chicken tenders your family loves!
• You can use your favorite store bought poppy seed dressing, but this homemade poppy seed dressing comes together quickly and is so delicious.  
• If the strawberries are not looking too great at the store, try raspberries, blueberries, blackberries or a mix of a couple different kinds!
• Plain pecans are absolutely delicious, but if you want to step it up a notch, try making these candied pecans that bake up crunchy and sweet with a little bit of spice right in your oven.  (These can be made a couple of days ahead.)
• If goat cheese is not your thing, switch it out for some burrata, some dabs of whipped ricotta, crumbled feta, or even crumbled blue cheese!

Ingredients:

• 6 to 8 cups chopped green leaf lettuce or other salad greens
• 6 to 8 breaded chicken tenders, baked according to package directions
• 1-1/2 to 2 cups sliced strawberries
• 1/2 red onion, sliced in to bite size pieces
• 1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled in to bite size pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or candied pecans
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup of poppy seed dressing

Instructions:

1. Bake the chicken according to package directions on a sheet pan and allow to cool slightly, then slice in to bite size pieces. 
2. Divide the chopped salad greens between four plates.  Layer some of the sliced breaded chicken tenders over the greens, then sprinkle about 1/2 cup strawberries, some chopped red onion, some chopped pecans and a few dots of goat cheese on each plate.
3. Drizzle each salad with a couple of tablespoons of poppy seed dressing and serve!