Chicken Strawberry Salad with Feta and Pecans & Homemade Dressing
Home » COOK » Recipes » Recipes By Course » Salads »This Chicken Strawberry Salad with Feta and pecans is a tasty summer dish full of amazing flavors and textures. The salad is finished off with a honey-mustard dressing that makes the whole dish sing!
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Chicken Strawberry Salad
The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading the blog post all the way through so that you don’t miss any tips or substitution suggestions; to ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment required, and to understand the steps and timings involved.
Summer, for me, is all about making and enjoy delicious salads. I mean, I eat salad all year around, but there is something about sticking your fork into a bowl of salad, while sitting in the summer sunshine that brings me joy!
If the thought of putting fruit into a savory salad seems a bit weird, I promise you, it is a taste sensation! The sweetness of fresh strawberries marries so well with the saltiness of the Feta, and I truly urge you to give this chicken strawberry salad a try.
To speed up the salad-making process, the chicken in this recipe is cooked in an Instant Pot. However, it can just as easily be poached or grilled. You could even use up leftover chicken, or buy ready-cooked chicken from the grocery store.
My favorite part of this salad is the pecans that add a satisfying crunch, and the honey-mustard dressing is *chef’s kiss*. This salad is one to add to your meal rotation for sure!
Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
While most ingredients can be bought in grocery stores, for your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients (and equipment) needed for this recipe have been listed below and linked to Amazon or other stores if available online. It doesn’t include staple ingredients such as oil, salt, and pepper, as you’re likely to have those in your kitchen already. The complete list of ingredients with measurements is found in the recipe card.
- Protein – Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Breasts.
- Fresh Produce – Mixed Salad Greens, Strawberries, Lemons.
- Dairy – Feta cheese.
- Garlic Powder
- Chicken Broth/Stock
- Pecan Halves
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Dijon Mustard
- Honey – an optional ingredient. Buy locally produced honey if possible.
Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog use both cup measurements and/or weighted measurements. American cups and kitchen food scales are handy pieces of equipment to have in your kitchen as it means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog. I try to give American, imperial, and metric measurements in my recipes. You can mix cup measurements with weighted measurements, but never mix imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.,) with metric (kilograms, grams, litres, etc.,).
More Recipes Using Strawberries
One of the hero ingredients in this dish is strawberries, so here are some more recipes using the same:
- Strawberry Fennel Salad
- Strawberry Caprese Skewers Appetizer
- Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes with Strawberries & Cream Filling!
More Salad Recipes
Looking for more salads to make? Check these recipes out next:
- Mexican Chopped Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing
- Iceberg Lettuce Wedge Salad with Bacon & Blue Cheese Dressing
- Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Feta & Olives
How Do I Make Chicken Strawberry Salad?
Check out the printable recipe card below with full ingredients and instructions. Any demonstration photos do not print out to save your ink.
Chicken Salad with Strawberries, Feta, and Pecans
This Chicken Strawberry Salad with Feta and pecans is a tasty summer dish full of amazing flavors and textures.
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb (450g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- Sea salt & black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup chicken broth or water
- 5 cups mixed salad greens
- ½ pint (6oz/170g) fresh strawberries, sliced
- 2 oz Feta cheese, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 oz pecan halves
For the Dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- Pinch sea salt
- 1 tsp honey, optional
Instructions
- Add olive oil to the Instant Pot® and select the Sauté function. Set to high and once the display reads “hot,” add chicken breasts. Season chicken on both sides with garlic powder, plus salt and black pepper, to taste.
- Sear the chicken breasts on each side for4-5 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove from the Instant Pot® and set aside. Add chicken broth and deglaze the bottom of the pot by gently scraping it with a rubber spatula.
- Add the metal trivet that comes with the Instant Pot® and place the chicken breasts on top. Add the lid and set the pressure valve to “sealing.” Select the “Manual” cooking option on the high setting and set the cooking time to 8 minutes. When done cooking, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, and then do a quick release for any remaining pressure.
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the dressing by combining all ingredients in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Cover tightly and shake until well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings, as desired. Set aside.
- Remove chicken from the Instant Pot® and let rest for a few minutes, then shred with two forks. Reserve cooking liquid from the pot to use in other recipes or freeze for later use.
- Arrange mixed salad greens on a platter and top with the shredded chicken, sliced strawberries, Feta cheese, and pecans. Drizzle the balsamic dressing on top and serve immediately. Enjoy!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 649Total Fat: 44gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 34gCholesterol: 110mgSodium: 580mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 9gSugar: 13gProtein: 44g
This site uses Nutritionix to provide estimated nutrition. Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Make It A Full Meal!
You’ve made the main dish, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to make a full meal for a dinner party or special occasion:
- Appetizer: Feta Cucumber Cups Appetizer for Summer Parties
- Beverage: Pink Grapefruit Martini Cocktail (with Vodka or Gin)
- Dessert: Mini Berry Pavlovas
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too!