Strawberry Harvest Salad Recipe

Strawberry harvest salad served in a blue bowl.

5 from 14 votes

Strawberry Harvest Salad Recipe

This Strawberry Harvest Salad is fresh, easy, and full of flavor with juicy berries, tender chicken, and a homemade vinaigrette.

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Kristyn Merkley

Ingredients

Salad

6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 large chicken breasts, seasoned to taste, cooked and sliced
1 apple, thinly sliced
½ cup Craisins
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup candied pecans
sliced strawberries, for topping

Strawberry Vinaigrette

1 cup strawberries, tops cut off
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

To make salad, place romaine in a salad bowl and top with chicken, apple slices, Craisins, cheese, candied pecans and strawberries.
To make the vinaigrette, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add dressing to salad right before serving.

Video

Notes

Recipe Tips.

Slice Apples Thin: This helps them blend better with the other textures.
Use Fresh Strawberries: Fresh berries make the biggest difference in flavor. Look for berries that are red from tip to stem and have a sweet aroma.
Hull the berries by first removing the green leaves. In a large bowl add 3 cups of water and 1 cup of white vinegar. Soak the berries for about 5 minutes. Drain and thoroughly rinse them with water. Arrange them in a single layer on a kitchen towel to dry. You can also use a kitchen or paper towel to pat them dry.
Add Dressing Last: Toss right before serving to keep everything crisp.
Customize Protein: Swap chicken for grilled shrimp or turkey if needed.
Candied Pecans: Set a small nonstick cooking pan over medium heat and add ¾ cup chopped pecans, 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar and ½ tablespoon butter. Stir constantly until the sugar and butter melt together. Continue stirring as it caramelizes; 2–3 more minutes. Spread pecans in a single layer on a plate to cool.

Make ahead of time. Assemble the salad a day ahead of time, but don't add the dressing until you're ready to serve it. You may also want to wait to slice the strawberries so they don't get mushy. Store the salad, covered, in the fridge until you're ready to serve.

Store. Cover and store leftovers in the fridge. It won’t keep for very long so you’ll want to finish it as soon as possible.

Nutrition