Strawberry Fields Salad is a seasonal favorite. This salad is made with sweet strawberries, feta, grilled chicken, red onion, dried cranberries, candy pecans, and mixed greens all tossed in a  balsamic vinaigrette. This is the summer’s official salad!

Summer is here and this teacher (okay fill in distance learning teacher) ended school a week early! I mean the kids just needed a break and I feel like I did a pretty damn good job considering this whole COVID situation happened so abruptly. Happy Summer break everyone! Speaking of the kids, they love this Strawberry Fields Salad, and it is so easy to make ahead. 

The first time I tried strawberry fields salad was in Missouri! What the heck was I doing there… well I was a competitive swimmer through college and our national meets were always in Missouri, very different than Calfornia, but very beautiful!

I used to think fruit in the salad was weird, but I saw someone order in the restaurant and got order envy so I went ahead and ordered it too! Oh my gosh, its hands down my favorite salad, EVER!

How To Make This Salad Even Easier 

Salads are easy to assemble and make, essentially they are fool-proof. You can purchase grilled chicken strips and candy pecans at your grocery store and throw everything together in a matter of minutes! As far as dressing goes, I always prefer to make my own, it just tastes better!

Love fresh and easy salads, also try Easy Pasta Salad, Chinese Chicken Chopped Salad, and Mediterranean Chickpea Salad Bowl.

Yield: 5-6 servings

Strawberry Fields Salad

Print

Strawberry Fields Salad is a seasonal favorite. This salad is made with sweet strawberries, feta, grilled chicken, red onion, dried cranberries, candy pecans, and mixed greens all tossed in a  balsamic vinaigrette. This is the summer's official salad!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

Candy Pecans

• 1 cup pecan pieces
• 3 tbsp cane sugar
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/4 tsp salt

Grilled Chicken

• 2 chicken breast, about 1 pound
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/8 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/8 tsp salt

Salad

• 4 cups mixed greens
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 2 cups strawberries, sliced
• 1/4 red onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup feta crumbles
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 avocado, sliced

Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup avocado oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• salt to taste

Instructions

Candy Pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a small pan over low heat combine cane sugar and water, whisk till sugar is dissolved, and add in pecans. Coat pecans in sugar water and turn off the heat. Transfer to the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to fully cool.

Grilled Chicken

1. In a small bowl combine garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and salt. Rub both sides of chicken breast with the spice mix.
2. Heat a cast-iron skillet or grill to medium-high heat. Cook chicken flipping once until cooked through, about 5-6 minutes aside. Let chicken rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

1. In a small jar whisk together avocado oil, balsamic vinegar, pure maple syrup, dried oregano, dried basil, garlic powder, and salt to taste

Salad

1. Place mixed greens and spinach in a large bowl or platter. Top with sliced strawberries, sliced grilled chicken, feta crumbles, candy pecans, red onion, avocado slices, and dried cranberries.
2. Do not toss salad until you are ready to serve. I like to serve the dressing on the side in case there are leftovers!