Chicken, Strawberry & Toasted Almond Salad

This Chicken, Strawberry & Toasted Almond Salad is simple, elegant, and absolutely delicious. It’s full of ripe strawberries, moist chicken, and crunchy almonds.

Since I’ve posted numerous cocktail recipes recently, I decided to skip Thirsty Thursday this week and celebrate the mamas. I know Mother’s Day brunch is a big deal (as it should be), so I made you a little special somethin’ to add to your brunch day menu.

This chicken, strawberry & toasted almond salad is just about the easiest salad you’ll ever make. The salad itself consists of four simple and seasonal ingredients: chicken, strawberries, toasted almonds, and mixed greens.

I used the help of my local grocery store and picked up a rotisserie chicken. Let’s be honest, you can’t beat the $5 it costs for a ready-prepared bird. With all of your other preparations, I’m sure you can use the extra help.

The salad is fresh, vibrant, and healthy. I love the combination of salty, sweet, savory, and tangy. The tang comes from the strawberry balsamic vinaigrette that gets generously drizzled right before you’re ready to serve the salad.

I really love the dressing I made to go with this salad. It’s a strawberry balsamic vinaigrette that uses strawberry jam to give the dressing a hint of sweetness and punch of berry flavor. There, the secret is out!

You can use store-bought or homemade jam for this recipe. I happened to have a jar of this small-batch strawberry jam lingering in my fridge from when I made my strawberry jam bourbon smash (which is also a great Mother’s Day recipe), so I used that.

The dressing really does take this salad to a whole new level of deliciousness. Everyone will be asking for your recipe.

If you want to make your mama feel special, load her up with homemade salad and a few boozy beverages.

Mom, I know you’re reading, so this is for you:

Thank you for being you. For your constant, unconditional love. For your patience, friendship, and thoughtfulness. For listening to everything, and I mean every single word, that cascades from my mouth. Thank you for your wisdom, advice, and guidance throughout the years. Thank you for picking me up when I’m down, mending my broken heart, and fixing every single boo-boo over the years. Thank you for being my cheerleader, role-model, and the absolute best friend a gal could ever ask for, ever. Thank you for the little things, the big things, and everything in between. But, most of all, thank you for being the best damn mom!

Print Recipe

Chicken, Strawberry & Toasted Almond Salad

Hearty chunks of tender chicken, sweet strawberries, and crunchy almonds get tossed with earthy mixed greens and drizzled with a tangy strawberry balsamic vinaigrette.

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 10 minutes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Ingredients:

Salad:

• 1 (5-ounce) container spring mix
• 2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite-size chuncks 
• 1 and 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
• 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup freshly chopped basil

Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette: 

• 3 tablespoons strawberry jam
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablesppon lemon juice
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

For the salad:

1. Add salad ingredients to a large bowl. 
2. Toss to combine. 
3. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad right before you’re ready to serve. 

For the vinaigrette: 

1. In a small bowl, combine strawberry jam, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice. Whisk to combine. 
2. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Give the mixture a few vigorous whisks to thicken.  
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

All images and text ©One Sweet Mess.

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