Chicken Berry Salad

A larger plate of Summer Chicken Salad with blueberries, blackberries and strawberries.

The perfect summertime meal, this Chicken Berry Salad is sweet, savory and refreshing. Made with All-Purpose Chicken Breasts, three different kind of berries, avocado and a homemade White Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword Chicken Berry Salad, Summer Chicken Salad, Tripple Berry Chicken Salad

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Servings Servings

Calories 568kcal

Author Heather

Ingredients

1 All Purpose Boneless Chicken Breasts Recipe *see Note #1 below
1/2 cup slivered almonds
5 ounces spring mix
1/2 small red onion *thinly sliced, about 1/2 cup
6 ounces blueberries
10 ounces blackberries
16 ounces strawberries *see Note #2 below
1 large avocado *see Note #3 below for tips on determining if an avocado is ripe
1/2 cup White Balsamic Vinaigrette

Instructions

Chicken

Prepare the All Purpose Chicken Breasts and let cool slightly before slicing for the salad.
{Time Saving Tip: Prepare the chicken a day in advance. Refrigerate in an air tight container and slice just before assembly of the salad.}

Almonds

Preheat oven to 350℉. Place almonds on a sided cookie sheet and bake until lightly toasted, approximately 6-7 minutes.
{Time Saving Tip: Toast the almonds a day in advance and store in an airtight container. Also, it is helpful to toast a larger amount for multiple salads during the week.}

Vinaigrette

Whisk together the ingredients for the White Balsamic Vinaigrette.
{Time Saving Tip: Make the vinaigrette a day in advance and store in the refrigerator.}

Salad

Wash and prepare the lettuce, berries and onions
To a platter or large bowl add the spring mix, sliced chicken, berries, red onions and toasted almonds.
Slice and add avocado. Drizzle with dressing just before serving. See Note #4 below.

Notes

Recipe Notes

Note #1- Both air fryer and oven instructions are given within this recipe. Pro Tip: The secret to juicy and tender boneless skinless chicken breasts is to use a thermometer to read the internal temperature.

Note #2- Strawberries, blueberries and blackberries are all incredibly delicate fruit that can spoil quickly. This is because moisture and mold are the enemy of fresh berries. The best way to extend the life of fresh berries is to kill any existing mold spores by washing them in a vinegar and water solution.

Place 3 cups of cool water and 2 tablespoons of vinegar into a large bowl. (Pro Tip: The vinegar kills mold spores.)
Add berries and gently bath the berries in the solution.
Drain and rinse the berries thoroughly.
Transfer berries to paper towels and gently pat dry. (Pro Tip: Since moisture is an enemy of berries it is important to dry the berries off as best as possible.)
Store berries in a produce storage container in the refrigerator or a paper towel lined plastic container.

Bathing the berries in water and vinegar solution immediately after purchase will extend the life of the berries and save time when making this salad.

Note #3- There are 3 things to look for when determining if an avocado is ripe.

The color of the skin will be a dark green.
There will be a slight give when applying a gentle squeeze to the avocado.
The stem removes easily to reveal bright green flesh.

Note #4- It is important to dress the salad just before serving because the vinaigrette will pull moisture form the berries causing them to loose some of their structure.

Nutrition