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Strawberry Chicken Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Dressing

Uzma AhsanSeptember 02, 2022Fine Cooking Recipes No comments:

This strawberry chicken salad is filled with fresh fruit, goat cheese, almonds, and chicken and makes my mouth water just thinking about it! The strawberry balsamic dressing gives it the perfect flavor and takes this salad over the top!

If you love a good salad, then I have a few others that you MUST try! Check out this Broccoli Apple Salad, this delicious Asparagus Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette, or even this delicious Strawberry Cheesecake Dessert Salad. There is a recipe for any occasion!

Strawberry Chicken Salad Recipe

It really is no secret at all that I love a good salad. It has helped me to keep a healthy diet and maintain the goals that I made at the beginning of the year. This salad checks all of the boxes. It’s healthy, delicious, and filled with fruits, veggies, and protein! I decided to top it off with a sweet strawberry balsamic dressing. It was the perfect finishing touch to this salad.

Not only does this salad knock it out of the park with its deliciousness, but it also is so easy to make!! I like to prepare my chicken ahead of time (try making it in your instant pot with this recipe) and then I can keep that in my fridge for a few recipes throughout the week!

Ingredients in Strawberry Chicken Salad

These ingredients are simple and easy! The best part about a salad is that you can change up the ingredients every time and make it different. My kids don’t like everything that I put into it so this is a great way to help them pick and choose what they like. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.

Salad

Cooked Chicken: I like to use grilled chicken or buy a rotisserie chicken from Costco to make this part super easy!
Romaine: I like using this as the base of the salad but spinach nor arugula work great too.
Strawberries: Always use fresh strawberries in a salad!
Dried Cranberries: These add in such a delightful taste and texture.
Red Onion: I like to use red onion because it’s the onion that tastes the best when it’s raw.
Goat Cheese: If you don’t like goat cheese then you can use feta cheese for this strawberry chicken salad instead.
Almonds: I used sliced or slivered almonds for this salad.

Strawberry Balsamic Dressing

Strawberries: You can use fresh or frozen strawberries for this recipe.
Balsamic Vinegar: This brings in a fantastic savory flavor to the dressing.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: This is a must!
Dijon Mustard: I know, this sounds interesting but trust me, you don’t want to leave it out!
Garlic: You can mince up fresh garlic cloves or use the minced garlic from your fridge!
Salt and Pepper: These will enhance all of the flavors in the dressing for this strawberry chicken salad.

Let’s Make a Strawberry Chicken Salad!

This strawberry chicken salad is so delicious that you will want to serve it for every meal! It’s a great one to prepare all of your ingredients ahead of time and then toss them together when you are ready to eat!

Blend: In a food processor or blender, pulse the strawberries, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, garlic, salt and pepper until smooth. Set aside.
Toss and Drizzle: In a large bowl toss the chicken, romaine, strawberries, dried cranberries, red onion, goat cheese, and sliced almonds. Then, toss with dressing or drizzle on top of served portions.

2 pictures showing how to make the dressing and 2 pictures showing all of the ingredients for the salad in glass bowls.

Variations

Change up this strawberry chicken salad and make it perfect just for you! Here are some tips on what you can substitute and how you can change things up.

Nuts: You don’t have to use almonds for this recipe! Try using pecans or walnuts instead. They will give off that same great crunch with a slightly different taste.
Dressing: You can easily change this up by using a lemon vinaigrette or a delicious poppyseed dressing.
Mix-Ins: Try adding some raisins, and some mandarin oranges. Different berries are delicious too! Try adding some raspberries, blackberries or blueberries to the mix!

Strawberry vinaigrette being drizzled over the top of a salad.

Make it Ahead of Time

This strawberry chicken salad tastes best when you add the dressing to it right before you serve it (so the ingredients don’t get soggy). However, I like to chop everything up beforehand and store them in my fridge in separate containers. Then, I can toss everything together and drizzle the dressing on whenever I am ready to eat!

A close up of strawberry chicken salad with a wooden spoon in the bowl.

Strawberry Chicken Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Dressing

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken salad, salad recipe, strawberry chicken salad

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings Servings

Calories 291kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

Salad

2 cups cooked chicken chopped
4 cups romaine chopped
2 cups strawberries chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup red onion sliced
1/4 cup goat cheese crumbled
1/4 cup almonds sliced

Strawberry Balsamic Dressing

1 cup strawberries
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

In a food processor or blender, pulse the strawberries, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, garlic, salt and pepper until smooth. Set aside.
In a large bowl toss the chicken, romaine, strawberries, dried cranberries, red onion, goat cheese, and sliced almonds. Toss with dressing or drizzle on top of served portions.

Notes

Originally Posted on May 25, 2015

Updated on September 2, 2022

Nutrition

source https://therecipecritic.com/strawberry-chicken-salad-with-strawberry-balsamic-dressing/

How To Blind Bake a Pie Crust

Uzma AhsanSeptember 01, 2022Fine Cooking Recipes No comments:

Blind baking a pie crust is key to the perfect pie. I’m going to show you how to do it and why it’s so important!

Whether you’re using a premade or homemade pie crust, blind baking is going to ensure it doesn’t end up soggy. It’s a simple step that will take your homemade pies to the next level.

Jump to Topic

What is Par-Baking?
Do I Need a Full or Partial Bake?
Using Pie Weights
What is Docking?
How to Blind Bake a Pie Crust
- Extra Tips and Tricks

What is Par-Baking?

By now, you’ve probably seen the term blind baking (also known as par-baking) scattered throughout pie recipes. This technique is used to bake a pie crust either partially or completely before any filling is added. As simple as it may seem, it’s a crucial step in making sure your pie crust is everything it should be; golden, flaky, and delicious as opposed to soggy and/or undercooked.

Don’t let blind baking intimidate you. It’s actually really easy! First, determine whether the kind of pie you’re making requires a partial or full blind bake. (I’ll tell you the difference below!) From there, all you need is some parchment paper, a pie dish, and either beans or pie weights to start the process!

Do I Need a Full or Partial Bake?

Full Blind Bake: You’ll want to completely bake your pie crust if you’re using a filling that isn’t cooked, or needs time to chill and set. This includes most cream-based pies such as coconut cream, banana cream, key lime, etc. A full blind bake requires a longer cooking time.
Partial Bake: A partial bake is suitable for pies with a filling that is cooked in the crust. This includes things like fruit pies (apple, berry, cherry, peach, etc.) and quiches. A partial blind bake requires a shorter cooking time.

Using Pie Weights

If you want your pie crust to retain its shape, I highly recommend using some sort of pie weight. I used traditional pie weights but you can use other substitutes such as uncooked beans, uncooked rice, or a pie plate in the center. You just want it to be heavy enough that it will keep the sides of your pie from shrinking down, and the bottom from puffing up. Regardless of what you use, just make sure the weight is evenly distributed.

What is Docking?

Docking is a simple technique where you prick the bottom of your pie crust with a fork before you bake it. The little holes allow steam to escape so that the bottom of the crust doesn’t puff up. Some people swear by this alone to help their pie crusts retain their shape during the baking process, but I like to use it in tandem with pie weights to keep any puffing or shrinking from happening. A combination of docking and pie weights is the best way to get that picture-perfect pie crust.

Now that you’re familiar with the process, here are step-by-step instructions on how to get that perfectly golden, flaky pie crust!

Preheat: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and place the rack in the lower third of the oven.
Prep Crust: Using either a premade or homemade pie crust, roll it out and transfer to a pie dish, crimping the edge as desired. Prick (dock) the bottom of the crust a handful of times with a fork. Chill the crust in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
Remove from Freezer: Once the crust is chilled, remove from the freezer and line the center with parchment paper making sure the parchment goes up the sides.
Add Pie Weights: Fill the parchment with ceramic pie weights. You may also use uncooked beans if you don’t have pie weights.
Bake: Bake for 15 minutes, until the edges of the crust begin to brown. Carefully remove the crust from the oven and lift the parchment and pie weights out of the crust. Transfer the hot weights to a plate to cool. *Note: Stop here if you are only partially baking your crust.
Cook Until Golden Brown: Place the crust back in the oven and bake for 5-8 minutes, until the bottom is golden brown and cooked through.
Cool and Add Filling: Remove the pie crust from the oven and let cool completely before adding the filling of your choice.

Extra Tips and Tricks

Here are a few extra tips to keep in mind as you par-bake your favorite pie crust recipe!

Chill Your Dough: Chill the crust before baking to allow the fat in the dough to harden. This will help the crust maintain its shape as it bakes.
Use Parchment Paper: I recommend using parchment paper instead of aluminum foil. Foil tends to stick to the dough of the crust, which means you can risk pulling it up and creating a hole in the bottom when it’s time to remove the weights. Using parchment paper will help keep this from happening.
Using Beans as Pie Weights: Uncooked beans are inexpensive and readily available in most grocery stores and they make perfect pie weights! Use enough beans to fill the crust about halfway. Let them cool completely before placing them in an airtight container. The same beans can be used over and over.
Let Your Crust Cool Completely: Let the crust cool completely before adding your filling. This will allow it to release any steam or heat that might be trapped by a filling, which can end up resulting in a soggy crust.

How Long Will My Par-Baked Pie Crust Last?

Baked and unfilled pie crusts can be stored at room temperature for 5-7 days, though they are best filled and used within the first 2-3 days. They may start to get a little soft if they sit for too long.

At Room Temperature: Let the crust cool completely before placing in an airtight container. Use within 3 days.

6-photo collage of pie crust ingredients being mixed together and then par-baked using pie weights.

How to Blind Bake a Pie Crust

Blind baking a pie crust is key to the perfect pie. I'm going to show you how to do it and why it's so important!

Course Dessert

Keyword how to blind bake a pie crust

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings pie crust

Author Alyssa Rivers