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strawberry pecan chicken salad

Strawberry Pecan Chicken Salad

A strawberry pecan chicken salad made with spring mix, fresh strawberries, chopped avocado, crumbled goat cheese, salted pistachios, homemade candied pecans, and sliced grilled chicken all tossed in a homemade champagne vinaigrette with dijon, honey, lemon, and garlic. Every single component made from scratch and every single bite has something completely delicious in it. The summer salad that finally made making salad at home worth it.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 2

Ingredients
  

For the Chicken:

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tsp dried oregano or basil

For the Salad:

  • 1 bag or package of spring mix
  • ¼ cup shelled salted pistachios, chopped
  • 1 cup strawberries hulled and quartered
  • 1 avocado chopped
  • ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese

For the Pecans:

  • ½ cup pecan halves
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 Tbs water

For the Dressing:

  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 2 Tbs champagne vinegar
  • ½ of a lemon juiced
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1½ Tbs Honey
  • 1 garlic clove
  • pinch of salt and pepper

Instructions
 

For the Chicken:

  • Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Using a meat tenderizer or a rolling pin, pound out chicken until it is equal thickness (this helps the chicken cook evenly)
  • Season both sides with salt, pepper and dried oregano or basil.
  • Heat a large skillet or cast iron pan over medium high heat with a little oil and sear the chicken for 5 minutes. Flip and cook for another 2-5 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked.
  • Remove from heat and slice for topping the salad.

For the Pecans:

  • Combine all ingredients except the pecans in a small skillet over medium heat and stir frequently until bubbly and sugar is dissolved. About 1-2 minutes.
  • Add pecans and stir to coat, cooking for another 3 minutes (you may need to turn your heat down to make sure they dont burn!)
  • Pour pecans out onto parchment paper to cool and then once cooled, break apart to use as salad topping.

For the Dressing:

  • In a small blender (you can also use an emersion blender if you have one) combine all ingredients and blend until smooth.
  • Set aside until ready to assemble salad.

Salad Assembly:

  • In a large bowl combine spring mix, pistachios, strawberries, and avocado.
  • Drizzle the champagne vinaigrette over the salad and toss.
  • Sprinkle the goat cheese and candied pecans on top.
  • Serve in big salad bowls and top with sliced chicken.
  • INHALE!
Keyword lunch, salad, summer recipes