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.
Table of Contents
- Avocado Strawberry Spinach Salad with Grilled Chicken
- Ingredients you’ll need for this Strawberry Spinach Salad with Chicken:
- How to make a Strawberry and Spinach Salad with Chicken?
- How to make an easy Homemade Balsamic Dressing?
- Can you make this Strawberry Spinach Salad ahead of time?
- Additions or Substitutions for this Salad:
- Other Salad Recipes you’ll enjoy:
- Get the Recipe
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?
- Preheat Grill: Preheat grill to medium high heat, approximately 350°-400°F.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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)
- 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:
- Grill and cut the chicken
- Make the Dressing
- Prep and cut all other ingredients
- 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
Avocado Strawberry Spinach Salad with Grilled Chicken
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 salads or 1 large salad 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American
Description
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.
Ingredients
- 6 cups of baby spinach
- 2 chicken breasts
- salt & pepper
- 1 1/2 cups of sliced fresh strawberries
- 1/3 cup blueberries
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1/4 cup pecans
- 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon raw honey
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 garlic clove, minced
Instructions
- Preheat grill to medium high heat, approximately 350°-400°F.
- 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.
- In the mean time, 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.
- In a large bowl, add spinach, strawberries, blueberries, avocado, pecans, crumbled goat cheese and then top with sliced grilled chicken. Serve with Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 salad
- Calories: 253
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 260 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 13 g
- Cholesterol: 9 mg
Filed Under:
26 comments on “Best Avocado Strawberry Spinach Salad with Grilled Chicken”
Adored this recipe! So fresh and delicious.
YES! It is perfect for HOT days! It’s so refreshing!
Amazing salad!! So simple to make, yet so elevated! That dressing is amazing (and guilt-free 🥰). Going to make this all the time this summer!
The perfect summer salad! I am so glad you loved this recipe, Ali!
Love everything in the salad; I just substitute sunflowers seeds or walnuts. A big thanks for the balsamic dressing recipe; I’ve been looking for one with just the ‘right’ ingredients, yours fit the bill!
Hurray! so glad you liked it Tazie! I love that dressing, it’s my go to when I’m in a pinch!
The way I deal with anger is to try and focus on something else or exert my anger through exercise. Working out makes me feel so much better anytime I feel down! Hope this helps!
Exercise!!! Yes! Totally agree with that, it’s what I do a lot too! Definitely a great way to clear the mind!
I am definitely making this for the summer! Have you gotten your little man to eat salad yet? Mine like it with out the lettuce- lol! Whatever works!
haha… Cason does the same thing. he loves everything about salad.. but the lettuce .. unless it’s covered in dressing!
Well Krista,
You’ve done it again! I made your strawberry avocado chicken salad tonight and it was terrific!
The ingredients worked so well together and the dressing was easy to make and delicious.
Thanks for consistently providing such yummy and easy to make recipes.
Kathy
Thank you so much Kathy, you are so sweet! This totally made my day!
This is such a perfect salad for summer! Love the combo of creamy avocado with the sweet strawberries. 🙂
Thank you so much Carrie!
I’m sorry that you and your husband are going through this. There is nothing more disappointing when someone you find out that someone you trusted has been deceiving you. I hope it all works out.
On a different note, this salad looks wonderful. The perfect thing for a light meal.
Thanks Dara! That means a lot, and definitely need the encouragement during this season! 🙂 AND so pumped you like my salad girl, this is definitely a ray of sunshine in the storm!
I HATE feeling angry, or mad, or upset, and very often, because I don’t want that burden in my heart, I will turn the other cheek and just walk away. Not sure what this crappy person did to you, but he/she sounds awful! I’m sorry you are dealing with this. 🙁
Hand me a fork, though… I need to dive into this beautiful salad!!
Turning the other cheek is the way to go for sure… that way your hearts not carrying the baggage!
Passing you a fork to this ridiculous salad now! 🙂
What a delicious and pretty looking salad! I would love to have this for lunch any day of the week! Yum!
Thanks Sheena, it’s totally lunch worthy AND dinner worthy! 🙂
I love strawberries on a salad and the avocado is such a great addition!
Thank you so much Erin! It’s definitely one delicious recipe!
This is such a pretty and simple salad! Love the combination of strawberry and avocado! Making this asap!
Get to it girl, its the bomb!
I make almost this exact recipe, and it’s one of my very favorite lunches! Great foodie minds must think alike! Love it!
haha.. yes they do! We are clearly on the same wave length!