This spinach salad with strawberries and chicken is a go-to when you want something quick, fresh, and full of flavor. It’s layered with sweet berries, tender chicken, salty feta, and toasted walnuts, all tossed in a maple balsamic dressing that pulls everything together. It’s easy to prep ahead and makes a great option for lunches, picnics, or busy weeknights.
Y’all, I could eat salad Every. Single. Day. And this salad is SO GOOD. I usually prefer a spring mix base in a salad, or even green leaf or butter lettuce, and any of those would also work in this salad. But the heartiness of the spinach stands up so well to the juicy strawberries and the chicken, we decided it needed to be the go-to for this recipe.
Testing notes for strawberry spinach salad
- As I mentioned, we tested this salad with various greens and settled on spinach as the best base. It contrasts so well with the fruit, chicken, and the vinaigrette.
- We also tested this strawberry spinach salad with fried chicken pieces, and while delicious, it’s a lot more work. If you want to try it, you could buy chicken nuggets or chicken tenders and cut them up.
I hope you make this recipe. I think you’ll love it!
P.S. We have other delicious salads too: You’ll love our other Strawberry Salad with balsamic and burrata, our simple green salad with slivers of candied ginger, or our arugula salad with roasted sweet potato.
Ingredient notes
Here are a few things to know about the ingredients in this recipe.
➡️➡️➡️ The full ingredient amounts and instructions are listed below on the printable recipe card. Scroll below the recipe card for frequently asked questions and tips for success.
Spinach: You’ll need 4-5 cups of fresh baby spinach, thoroughly washed.
Strawberries: Fresh only. Frozen strawberries would not work in this recipe.
Chicken: We used store-bought rotisserie chicken, but you could also roast a chicken at home.
Walnuts: You can substitute pecans for the walnuts. We like the nuts lightly toasted.
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Strawberry Spinach Salad with Chicken
Ingredients
For the salad
- 4-5 cups fresh baby spinach
- 4 cups strawberries
- 1 cup shredded cooked chicken
- ¼ cup crumbled feta
- ⅓ cup walnuts
For the dressing
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Toast the walnuts
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread 1/3 cup walnuts on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 7-8 minutes until golden brown. Stir halfway through. Allowthe nuts to cool before adding to the salad. (The nuts can be toasted in advance. You can keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 months and in the freezer for about 6 months for best flavor.)
Salad
- Slice 4 cups strawberries and chop the toasted walnuts.
- Place 4-5 cups fresh baby spinach, sliced strawberries, 1 cup shredded cooked chicken, ¼ cup crumbled feta and chopped, toasted walnuts in a large salad bowl.
Dressing
- In a small bowl or salad dressing shaker, whisk together ½ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the spinach salad and toss to combine all the ingredients. Serve cold for maximun freshness.
Nutrition
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Questions and tips
This salad is so simple and versatile that you can make any number of substitutions. We’ve given you a good base with this recipe, but you can make it your own!
- Add some diced avocado or swap the feta cheese for crumbled goat cheese.
- Use toasted pecans instead of the walnuts.
Storage
Store your strawberry spinach salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Sure! You can use blackberries or blueberries.
You can use almost any vinegar, but you may need to omit the maple syrup. The white balsamic vinegar goes perfectly with the maple syrup, as would champagne vinegar. If using regular balsamic or red wine vinegar, don’t add the maple syrup.
