Wrapped in a crisp lettuce leaf, Strawberry Chicken Poppy Seed Salad makes for a tasty and fresh lunch or light dinner.
A fast-and-easy recipe and the perfect way to use up leftover chicken.
We love chicken salads and I’m always trying new combinations of ingredients. This one was a definite winner and one we had to share with you!
Strawberry Chicken Poppy Seed Salad is quick to make, made with less than 10 ingredients and is the perfect summertime lunch. Just like in our Blueberry Chicken Salad this recipe combines chicken, fruit, herbs, nuts, and creamy mayo. In this recipe, we love the combination of fresh strawberries, chopped chicken, fresh basil, crunchy celery and onions, toasted almonds, poppy seeds that are all tossed in a zingy lemon-mayo dressing. If you have cooked chicken on hand or you pick up a rotisserie chicken, this salad can be whipped up in less than 10 minutes of your time. You know us, we’re all about keeping it simple.
Make Strawberry Chicken Salad your own.
Like many of our recipes on the blog, Strawberry Chicken Poppy Seed Salad is an easy recipe to customize to what you have on hand, your flavor preference and/or what’s in season. Feel free to sub any fruit of your choice, whatever nuts or seeds you have on hand, your favorite herbs, and any veggies that would make a tasty addition. Just like spending less time in the kitchen, we also encourage you to use what you have on hand so that you can save a trip to the grocery store and as a result save money and reduce food waste.
We make this recipe Whole30-friendly by using Primal Kitchen Mayo – made with real food ingredients.
And if you’re wondering how to make the perfect chicken breast…we’ve got you covered! Dietitian Jess shows you how with a step-by-step photo tutorial in this post.
Serve it up wrapped in a crisp lettuce leaf.
We like to tuck the Strawberry Chicken Poppy Seed Salad in a lettuce leaf for a light and delicious lunch. But really, the options are endless. If you’re on a Whole30, serve the salad in a lettuce leaf, on bed or greens, scooped into an avocado or topped on cucumber slices. If you’re not on a Whole30, feel free to scoop it up with your favorite crackers.
However you decide to enjoy this Strawberry Chicken Poppy Seed Salad, I know you’ll love it.
We can’t wait for you to try this Strawberry Chicken Poppy Seed Salad!
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Strawberry Chicken Poppy Seed Salad
Wrapped in a crisp lettuce leaf, Strawberry Chicken Poppy Seed Salad makes for an easy Whole30-friendly lunch that’s tasty and fresh.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken, cubed (rotisserie chicken also works great)
- 1/2 cup diced strawberries
- 2 Tbsp. fine diced red onion
- 1/4 cup fine diced celery
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
- 1–2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
- 1/4–1/3 cup mayonnaise (we recommend Primal Kitchen Mayo)
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. poppy seeds
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Leaf lettuce or butter lettuce
- Chopped green onion
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, strawberries, onion, celery, toasted almonds and fresh basil.
- To toast almonds: place almonds in a small pan over medium heat. Toast until slightly browned tossing occasionally. This only takes a few minutes so watch closely.
- In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and poppy seeds. Gently stir into the chicken mixture. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Serving option: scoop into a lettuce leaf or scoop onto a bed of greens and top with green onions and a few toasted almonds.
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Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe (salad only)
- Calories: 239
- Fat: 16g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Carbohydrate: 4g
- (Fiber: 1g
- Sugar: 2g)
- Protein: 21g
Dietary
We would love to hear how you like this recipe, how you served it and if you made any modifications.
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Samantha says
Just made it today! So good and refreshing!
Stacie Hassing says
So great to hear! Glad you enjoyed it!
Ann G says
My kids and I made this for lunch today. Easy for them to put together & it was delicious!
Barb Gibbs says
I’m going to add purple grapes. Yum!
Jessica Beacom says
Great idea!
Caroline says
Question – are the almonds in this recipe just for a nice crunch?
I’m doing whole 30 but have nut allergies. Would it be okay to sub them for sunflower or pumpkin seeds?
Looks delicious, can’t wait to try it! Thank you!
Jessica Beacom says
Yes, the almonds are just there for a little texture. You can certainly use sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
Aunna Elizabeth Poelman says
This recipe is so delicious! I didn’t add celery and added green onions instead of regular. You’ve got to try this!