Strawberry Chicken Salad with Spinach (And Easy Dressing Recipe)

This quick strawberry chicken salad is perfect for an easy, healthy lunch or dinner. Made with rotisserie chicken, spinach, and a yummy homemade dressing, this delicious salad is sure to be on repeat.

Here's a fast and easy summer salad inspired by what I had in the fridge this week - rotisserie chicken, baby spinach, and homegrown strawberries. Add nuts for crunch, and dress it up with a simple vinaigrette. And this chicken salad with spinach and strawberries is ready in about five minutes.

This strawberry chicken salad is proof that you don't need a complicated recipe to create a restaurant-quality meal. Making it at home you're in full control of each ingredient that goes into this healthy salad as well as the simple and zesty salad dressing.

Why You'll Love This Salad

With minimal effort, you can have this salad served in minutes, especially if you have pre-cooked chicken that's ready to go! If not, you can use air-fried chicken breast, grilled chicken or roasted chicken to make this quick main dish salad.

You can swap out the strawberries and use whatever seasonal fruit or berry you have on hand for that juicy bite of sweetness. Same with the nuts - whatever you like or have on hand. And that bed of baby spinach? Swap that out for whatever leafy greens you like.

But for outrageous taste, textures and flavors, try it according to the recipe to see how delicious and easy it is to make this chicken, spinach, and strawberry salad.

Ingredients Needed

For the salad

• Cooked chicken - You'll need 12 ounces of cooked chicken, chopped or sliced.
• Spinach - I like to use a package or container of organic pre-washed baby spinach. You'll want dry spinach leaves for this salad to avoid the wilting and damage that you'll get if you rinse and dry them in a spinner.
• Strawberries - I love to use homegrown strawberries in season. If you don't have these jewels growing at your house, check your farmer's markets and grocers and opt for fresh, organic strawberries.  Rinse and dry them and remove the top stems before cutting them in half, lengthwise.
• Walnuts - I use about half a cup of chopped nuts for texture and crunch.

For the dressing

• Walnut oil - The flavor of walnut oil will enhance the nuttiness factor.
• Champagne vinegar - Use this lighter and more delicate vinegar which works well to enhance the fruit flavor in the salad without overpowering it.
• Honey - just a dash adds a touch of sweetness to this vinaigrette
• Dijon mustard - you'll get a touch of zest and spice with just ½ a teaspoon of this mustard.
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

How To Make It

1. To a large bowl, add the baby spinach, chicken, sliced strawberries and chopped walnuts.
2. To a jar with a tight-fitting lid, add the dressing ingredients of walnut oil, champagne vinegar, honey and Dijon mustard. Secure the lid and shake until the dressing ingredients are well-combined. (Or you can whisk it in a small bowl.)
3. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, to taste.

How To Cook The Chicken For The Salad

There are several ways to add cooked chicken to this salad. Here are a few methods to use to have the chicken ready and waiting to be added to the salad.

• Leftovers - I love to use leftover chicken for this salad because it's one less step I have to do to get this salad on the table. If you have leftover rotisserie chicken, which is what I used here, just cut it into chunks to add to the salad.

• Air fryer chicken - A quick session in your air-fryer will cook chicken breasts that are perfect for slicing on top of this salad.
• Grill it - Quickly grilling chicken breasts on a grill pan or BBQ is also great to use for this recipe.
• Roasted chicken - Plan ahead for meal-prepping and use the meat from a roasted chicken. Here's how to put your crockpot to use slow cooking a whole chicken.

Variations

• Greens - The spinach can be replaced with almost any leafy greens. Crisp chopped lettuce is a great alternative because it provides a nice crunch when you bite into it. Spring mix is also a great option. The mix contains a variety of lettuces like butter lettuce, baby red or green romaine lettuce, arugula and baby spinach, along with other assorted greens.
• Berries - If strawberries aren't available, try fresh and plump blackberries, blueberries or raspberries. They're equally delicious and each will provide its own sweet flavor to this salad.
• Nuts - Crunchy and nutty alternatives to walnuts are pecans, cashews or slivered almonds. If you have the time and want to amp up the nutty flavor, give them a quick toast in a frying pan over medium heat. No oil needed! Just keep them moving with a spatula for a few minutes so they don't burn.
• Dressing - If you don't have walnut oil and/or champagne vinegar on hand, an equally simple olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing would taste great on this salad. Try this balsamic vinaigrette. Feel free to leave out the chipotle flakes and swap out the garlic oil for plain olive oil if you prefer.

Additions To The Salad

If you want to make this delicious salad even more substantial, consider adding any or all of the following:

• Avocado - Add slices of ripe and buttery avocado to this salad for a creamy texture and added nutrition.
• Red onion - Thin slices or small diced red onion can add that little extra spicy bite that pairs well with the spinach, chicken and strawberries.
• Bacon - Crumbled bacon is always a good idea as a little extra crunchy goodness on a salad. Make sure you're using quality bacon with no sugar and no additives. Here's my favorite way to cook bacon in the oven.

Can you make this salad ahead of time?

Yes and no. Here's what to do and what not to do.

1. You can have all the ingredients prepped a few days in advance and ready to assemble right before you're ready to serve, this way everything remains fresh.
2. You can assemble the dry baby spinach leaves, strawberry halves and walnuts in a salad bowl, but don't add the chicken and dressing until right before you're ready to serve. The chicken, and especially the dressing, will weigh the salad down and can possibly wilt the spinach and make it soggy.

What To Serve With It

If you're looking for a bread to munch on with this salad, here are a few ideas to consider.

With just a hint of sweetness from honey, these walnut muffins would pair nicely with this salad.

These almond flour biscuits are super easy to make, and if you want, save them for the perfect spring and summer dessert, strawberry shortcake, of course!

And this paleo cornbread is also a tasty option.

However you make it, it's easy, healthy, and perfect for summer.

More Easy Salad Recipes

• Chicken Salad with Grapes and Walnuts
• Shrimp and Arugula Salad
• Easy Broccoli Salad with Bacon
• Antipasto Salad with Easy Italian Dressing
• Tuna Avocado Salad