Best Avocado Strawberry Spinach Salad with Grilled Chicken

An easy Avocado Strawberry Spinach Salad with Grilled Chicken and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette. This light and fresh Strawberry Spinach Salad makes the perfect summer dinner – filled with berries, pecans, creamy goat cheese, grilled chicken and avocado for the ultimate bite! 

If you’re in the market for light and fresh salads like me, you need to try this Detox Berry Spinach Salad or my Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons.

Avocado Strawberry Spinach Salad with Grilled Chicken

Y’all know salads are my jam. When I was pregnant with both kids I CRAVED salads, soups and chocolate banana milk shakes. haha

Since I have a love affair with salad you know I can’t go through this summer grilling series without having a salad that has a grilled component. This Avocado Strawberry Spinach has is one of my quick go to weeknight recipes. The kids love it, all the ingredients are things you already have on hand and the flavor will blow you away. 

Oh and it can be packed in an air tight container for a quick easy lunch, just sayin!

Ingredients you’ll need for this Strawberry Spinach Salad with Chicken:

What I love about this salad is how it comes together in less than 20 minutes and most of the ingredients you already have on hand in the refrigerator or pantry. 

• Spinach: for that extra fiber punch, you could sub with kale or green leaf lettuce if you’d like.
• Berries: I used a combo of fresh strawberries and blueberries for a fresh summer bite!
• Avocado: This glorious fruit is a standard in most of my salads, it adds a nice bit of creaminess and good fat.
• Goat Cheese: I love that goat cheese is creamy and adds a nice tanginess to the salad, plus it melts a little when the grilled chicken hits it.
• Pecans: for nutrients and a little crunch
• Chicken: boneless skinless chicken breast simply seasoned with salt and pepper then grilled for a nice sear. To learn how to grill chicken head here.
• Dressing: for this recipe I chose a sweet balsamic vinaigrette because I love the flavor combo with the goat cheese, chicken, strawberries and avocado.

How to make a Strawberry and Spinach Salad with Chicken?

1. Preheat Grill: Preheat grill to medium high heat, approximately 350°-400°F.
2. Make the Dressing: to a small bowl add balsamic vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, raw honey, dried basil, garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Whisk together until emulsified and set aside.
3. Season & Grill Chicken: Pat chicken breast dry with a paper towel and season both sides with salt and pepper. Place chicken on a clean grill and grill each side for 4-6 minutes or until there internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove chicken from grill and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
4. Assemble the Salad: In a large bowl, add spinach, strawberries, blueberries, avocado, pecans, crumbled goat cheese and then top with sliced grilled chicken. Serve with Balsamic Vinaigrette.

How to make an easy Homemade Balsamic Dressing?

Balsamic Dressing is one of my go to salad dressing to make at home. It’s always a hit, quick, easy and I have all the ingredients in my pantry. I also like to change it up and make it lighter version with white balsamic. Here’s how to make both versions.

1. Sweet Balsamic Dressing: To a bowl add a good quality balsamic vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, basil, minced garlic cloves and salt. Whisk until combined. Slowly add olive oil to the bowl, whisking the entire time until the dressing is emulsified. (meaning the vinegar no longer separates from the oil)
2. White Balsamic Dressing: To a bowl add white balsamic vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, thyme,  red pepper flakes, minced garlic cloves and salt. Whisk until combined. Slowly add olive oil to the bowl, whisking the entire time until the dressing is emulsified. 

Can you make this Strawberry Spinach Salad ahead of time?

Yes, absolutely. If you plan to make this ahead of time and enjoying throughout the week I recommend the following:

1. Grill and cut the chicken
2. Make the Dressing
3. Prep and cut all other ingredients
4. Store all ingredients in individual containers so all you need to do is throw everything together the next day.

If you are storing in a container for a quick grab and go lunch, evenly divide ingredients between 4 Pyrex containers. Be sure to store dressing in a separate container. Do not mix the dressing ahead of time, it will cause the spinach to wilt and become soggy.

Additions or Substitutions for this Salad:

What makes this salad so great is how adaptable it can be. Knowing that you can sub or add things to this salad is a game changer!

• Proteins: Sub the Grilled Chicken for leftover rotisserie chicken, roasted shrimp, or grilled salmon.
• Cheeses: Crumbled feta cheese, gorgonzola, blue cheese, cubes of aged white cheddar cheese
• Nuts: Candied almonds or pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
• Other Fruit: Canned mandarin orange segments, raspberries,  blackberries, cubed mango, dried cherries or
• Other Vegetables: raw broccoli, thin slices of red onion, carrots, roasted beets or edamame.
• Alternate Dressings: Raspberry vinaigrette, Lemon Vinaigrette, Poblano Dressing, Blush Wine Vinaigrette, Honey Mustard Dressing or a Citrus Basil Vinaigrette.

Other Salad Recipes you’ll enjoy:

• Best Spinach Salad with Apples, Pecans and Gorgonzola
• Grilled Buffalo Chicken Salad
• Mexican Chopped Salad with Poblano Dressing
• The Ultimate Grilled Peach Chicken Salad
• 15 Minute Avocado Caprese Chicken Salad
• Blackberry Kiwi Balsamic Chicken Salad

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