Here’s a peek into my lunch obsession this season.
I can’t stop eating this strawberry poppyseed salad — I’ve been having it nearly every day. It’s light but satisfying, incredibly fresh, and bursting with flavor. It’s basically a copycat of Panera’s strawberry poppyseed chicken salad, and I’m completely hooked.
We’ve fallen into a once-a-week Panera habit because Max is into bagels right now, and for a while I avoided Panera — the sandwiches and deli options weren’t my thing. But after a few visits and since Emilia was born, we started ordering it regularly. While a bread bowl of soup sounds tempting, it’s too heavy for summer, so this fruit-forward salad steals the show.
The salad is definitely sweet — almost dessert-like. It combines strawberries, blueberries, mandarin oranges, and pineapple with a sweet poppyseed dressing that I brighten with lime and orange juice. If you prefer savory salads, this might not be your ideal match, but for a refreshing, fruit-driven summer lunch it’s phenomenal.
The grilled balsamic chicken adds the perfect savory contrast and makes the salad balanced and satisfying. I usually slice the chicken thinly after grilling, but you could easily substitute shrimp or salmon for variety.
We went strawberry picking recently, and the flood of sweet berries made me even more obsessed. Surprisingly, this salad has become my favorite way to enjoy fresh strawberries — even over cobbler.
Grilled Chicken Strawberry Poppyseed Salad
4
45 mins
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Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 8 cups torn butter lettuce
- 1 1/2 cups strawberries sliced
- 1 cup sliced pineapple
- 3/4 cup blueberries
- 3/4 cup mandarin oranges
- 1/4 cup chopped roasted cashews
Citrus Poppyseed Dressing
- 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 1/2 lime juiced
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 shallot diced
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup olive oil or grapeseed oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Instructions
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Place the chicken in a baking dish or a resealable bag. Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper, then pour over the chicken and toss to coat. Marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
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Heat a grill to medium-high. Grill the chicken 5 to 6 minutes per side, then let rest a few minutes before slicing thinly.
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In a large bowl, toss the butter lettuce with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add strawberries, pineapple, blueberries and mandarin oranges. Toss, then top with sliced chicken and cashews. Drizzle with dressing to serve.
Citrus Poppyseed Dressing
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Combine vinegar, orange juice, lime juice, honey, shallot, garlic, mustard powder, salt and pepper in a food processor and blend until combined. With the processor running, stream in the olive oil until the dressing emulsifies. Stir in the poppy seeds. Store in the fridge for a few days.
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Please make this for lunch — you’ll thank me later.