This Spring Pea & Strawberry Salad with Grilled Chicken and mint vinaigrette is THE best salad of the season!  Colorful, packed with nutrients, and bursting with flavor, this salad is anything but boring or bland!  It’s perfect for an easy, healthy weeknight meal and elegant enough for a special occasion or entertaining!

Haaay, friends!

Can we talk about salads for approximately .452 seconds?

I feel like salads get a bad rap.

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People either love them or loath them, but the people who unfortunately fall into the latter category seem to really, really loath them.  And, I can’t help but to think it’s a little misguided.

But, I get it.  Some salads can be boring, bland and leave MUCH to be desired.

With that said, let me introduce you to today’s salad.

It’s a salad so fresh and fabulous it will rock your world… or at least rock your taste buds.

Spring Pea & Strawberry Salad with Grilled Chicken

Fresh greens tossed with plump, sweet peas, crisp snap peas, juicy strawberries, salty feta, creamy avocado and crunchy nuts, then topped with tender grilled chicken.

And then, all that sensational salad jazz gets finished with a silky, luscious, tart, slightly sweet and minty fresh vinaigrette.

It’s light and fresh, yet satisfying and jam packed with both texture and flavor.

Basically, it’s a salad done RIGHT.

What is spring salad mix?    

Spring salad mix is simply a mixture of fresh greens and lettuces of varying colors, tastes and textures.

There are approximately 16 greens included in a spring salad mix, including red romaine, baby spinach, arugula and radicchio to name a few.

While this salad utilizes spring salad mix, I also like to throw some bibb lettuce into the mix as it is, personally, my favorite lettuce.

Why eat peas?

Not only are green peas absolutely delicious when they are fresh and in season during the spring, they also are quite nutritious!

Green peas, or “garden peas”, contain an impressive amount of fiber (4.4 grams per ½ cup serving), antioxidants, vitamin A and iron.

What does that mean?

Well, it means green peas can help you better manage your weight by keeping you feeling full for longer, improve your heart health by lowering your cholesterol, and support healthy blood sugar control.

So, the better question is, why AREN’T you eating more peas??

Why strawberries are good for you?

Strawberries are packed with fiber and vitamins, plus they are sodium-free, fat-free, cholesterol-free and low-calorie.

Nutrient-rich and packed with antioxidants, strawberries are a superfood that offer a wide range of health benefits including, improved eye care, and relief from high blood pressure, arthritis and various cardiovascular diseases.

Recipe notes, tips & tricks for Spring Pea & Strawberry Salad with Grilled Chicken:

1.        You can season the chicken breasts however you like.  Simply with salt and pepper, or with an all-purpose poultry or grilling seasoning.  I seasoned mine with a mixture of garlic powder, dried basil, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and pinch of cayenne.

2.       The cooking time for the chicken breasts in the recipe below is approximate and will depend on the size and thickness of your chicken breasts.  I used chicken cutlets which are great for weeknight meals since they are thin and cook so quickly – roughly 3 minutes per side.  Always cook your chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

3.       The vinaigrette can be made up to 3 days in advance.  Store it in a container with a tight fitting lid in the refrigerator and give it a good whisk, or shake, before using.

Fresh, fabulous and packed with ALL the flavor, this Spring Pea & Strawberry Salad with mint vinaigrette NEEDS to grace your table.  Do it and make boring, bland salads a thing of the past!

Until next week, friends, cheers – to sensational salads!

XOXO

Cheyanne

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How to make Spring Pea & Strawberry Salad with Grilled Chicken recipe👇

5 from 6 votes

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Spring Pea & Strawberry Salad with Grilled Chicken

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

12 mins

Total Time

27 mins

 

This Spring Pea & Strawberry Salad with Grilled Chicken and mint vinaigrette is THE best salad of the season!  Colorful, packed with nutrients, and bursting with flavor, this salad is anything but boring or bland!  It's perfect for an easy, healthy weeknight meal and elegant enough for a special occasion or entertaining!

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Easy, grilled chicken, pea, spring, strawberry, Summer

Servings: 4

Calories: 496 kcal

Author: Cheyanne Bany

Ingredients

• 6 Cups Mixed Salad Greens
• 1 Cup Sugar Snap Peas or Snow Peas
• ½ Cup Fresh Peas blanched
• 1/3 Cup Feta crumbled
• 1 Cup Strawberries sliced
• 1 Avocado sliced or diced
• ¼ Cup Nuts toasted (almonds, pistachios or pecans)
• 1 Pound Chicken Breasts or Cutlets*

Dressing:

• 2 TBS Fresh Mint finely chopped
• ¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 ½ TBS Apple Cider Vinegar or Champagne Vinegar
• 1 TBS Lemon Juice
• 2 TBS Honey
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• Kosher Salt & Ground Black Pepper to taste

Optional for serving: Micro greens, lemon wedges

Instructions

1. Preheat grill, grill pan, or cast iron skillet over medium high heat and brush the grates with oil.
2. Season chicken as desired* and place it on the grill. Grill for 4-8 minutes per side*, or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear. Remove chicken from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make the dressing: Whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust for seasoning as desired. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine the greens, peas and feta. Slice, or dice, the chicken and add it to the top or the salad along with the strawberries, avocado and nuts. Drizzle with dressing and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Nutritional information includes dressing.

1. You can season the chicken as desired. Simply with salt and pepper or all-purpose grill seasoning. I seasoned mine with a mix of garlic powder, dried parsley, dried basil, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and pinch of cayenne.
2. Grilling time for the chicken will depend on the size and thickness of your chicken. Since chicken cutlets are thinner they will require less time than thick chicken breasts. Always cook your chicken to 165 degrees F.

Nutrition Facts

Spring Pea & Strawberry Salad with Grilled Chicken

Amount Per Serving

Calories 496 Calories from Fat 279

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 31g 48%

Saturated Fat 6g 30%

Cholesterol 83mg 28%

Sodium 308mg 13%

Potassium 968mg 28%

Total Carbohydrates 25g 8%

Dietary Fiber 6g 24%

Sugars 13g

Protein 31g 62%

Vitamin A 25.6%

Vitamin C 78.9%

Calcium 10.8%

Iron 13.8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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