Chicken Spinach Salad
This Chicken Spinach Salad is topped with seasoned chicken breast, sweet strawberries, juicy oranges, tart blueberries, sliced toasted almonds, and a sprinkle of feta cheese. The salad is dressed in a simple four-ingredient balsamic vinaigrette.
This is one of my family’s’ favorite salad recipes — it’s fresh, light, nutritious, and so tasty! It’s also a personal favorite since it’s quick and easy to whip together. The homemade dressing comes together in just a few minutes — we add some ingredients to a mason jar and then shake to combine. The chicken is easy to prepare and the rest of the salad toppings come together quickly; the berries just need to be washed and sliced and the oranges get peeled.
Try other variations: Add some additional berries like blackberries or raspberries (or swap out strawberries or blueberries for a different berry). Replace the chicken with grilled and thinly sliced steak. Add a chopped avocado for a creamy element. While I think the balsamic dressing recipe is so good and highly recommend trying it (I promise it’s so easy to make!) you can also use store-bought dressing. Here is an article to guide you through choosing the best balsamic dressings to purchase. If you can’t find fresh clementines, canned mandarin oranges (thoroughly drained) also work.
Due to all the juicy ingredients, this chicken spinach salad doesn’t sit or store well after it’s made. Once assembled, the salad needs to be eaten soon after; otherwise the balsamic dressing wilts the greens and the almonds soften.
Ingredients:
- 1 large (8.5 oz; 250g) boneless skinless chicken breast (plus olive oil, salt, pepper, and seasoning blend such as Mrs. Dash chicken grilling blends seasoning) (See Note 1)
- 4 cups (88g) baby spinach
- 1/2 cup (77g) fresh blueberries
- 1/2 cup (70g) fresh strawberries
- 1/2 cup (88g) clementine or mandarin oranges (~1 clementine)
- 2-3 tablespoons feta cheese
- 2-3 tablespoons sliced almonds (See Note 2)
- Salt and pepper
Dressing
- 1/4 cup (50g) olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons honey