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–+ servings
salad with strawberries, chicken strips and goat cheese

Strawberry Chicken Goat Cheese Salad

Source: donuts2crumpets
Salad greens and breaded chicken topped with strawberries, pecans, red onion and goat cheese then drizzled with poppy seed dressing for the perfect Summer salad!
Servings: 4
Prep Time 30 minutes
5 from 11 votes

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
 

  • Bake the chicken according to package directions and allow to cool slightly, then slice in to bite size pieces.
  • 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.
  • Drizzle each salad with a couple of tablespoons of poppy seed dressing and serve!

Notes

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!