Strawberry Chicken Salad

I love summer. First of all, school is out! Yay!!

Second of all, it's strawberry season, and third of all, it's almost peach season!

But let's not skip through the delicious strawberry season. My father-in-law came over for dinner one night and I just happened to be making this for the first time this season. I was thinking he was going to roll his eyes until I remembered how much he likes Panera's "froo froo" salads, as he calls them. Apparently, this is even better than a Panera salad :) 

I modified this recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything to include some of my favorite salad ingredients: strawberry jam dressing, strawberries, chow mein noodles, honey roasted spinach, and grilled chicken atop a bed of romaine and spinach. Feel free to experiment with your own salad combinations and share your favorite ideas!

Total Time: 30 minutes

​Ingredients:

• Romaine hearts
• Baby spinach
• Chow mein noodles
• Honey roasted peanuts
• 1 pound strawberries, sliced
• 1 pound chicken tenders

• Dressing:
  • 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 3 Tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup strawberry jam, regular or seedless

Directions:

1. In a blender, combine all dressing ingredients and blend until smooth and well combined. You may refrigerate if made ahead (it will get a little stiff in the fridge, so you may want to set it out about 10 minutes early to come to room temp.)
2. You may prepare your chicken however you'd like but I have two ways that I like to prepare the chicken for this salad:
   1. Option 1: Marinate the chicken in Italian dressing for about 30 minutes and grill over medium heat. Turn chicken over to the other side and continue grilling until cooked through.
   2. Option 2: Sprinkle chicken tenders with salt and pepper and place in a skillet with a Tablespoon of vegetable oil. Cook over medium-low heat and turn halfway through. Continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through.
3. When ready to serve, toss together the strawberries, romaine and spinach, peanuts, and noodles. Slice the chicken into thin strips and place on top. Drizzle with the delicious strawberry jam dressing and enjoy!

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Source: Adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything