This homemade salad is so good, you’ll forget takeout exists.
If you love Panera’s Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad, you’re not alone. It doesn’t get more delicious than the sweet and savory combination of grilled chicken, fresh fruit, and creamy poppy seed dressing. Here, we’ve created a homemade twist on the restaurant favorite that checks all the boxes for breezy summer cooking: it looks fancy, tastes incredible, and comes together in just minutes. This is one copycat recipe you need to try.
How to Make Balsamic Grilled Chicken
In a medium bowl combine 2 Tbsp. olive oil; 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1/2 tsp. salt; and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. Add two 6-oz. chicken breasts; turn to coat. Cover; chill 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove chicken from marinade; discard any remaining marinade. Grill chicken over medium, turning once, until done (165°F), 8 to 10 minutes. Cool chicken slightly; slice into 1/4-inch strips. To broil chicken, preheat broiler. Place chicken on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat, turning once, until done (165°F), 8 to 10 minutes.
How to Make Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad Ahead
Chill salad mixture, chicken, and dressing in separate airtight containers. Dressing can be stored up to 2 weeks; salad and chicken can be stored up to 3 days.
How to Toast Nuts
To toast nuts, preheat oven to 350°F. Spread nuts on a baking sheet; bake, stirring once, until toasted and fragrant, about 8 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. orange juice
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp. poppy seeds
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. dried minced onion
- 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce and/or spring mix salad greens
- 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
- 1 cup fresh pineapple thinly sliced and cut into chunks
- 1 (11-oz.) can mandarin orange sections, drained
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans
- 2 (6-oz.) grilled chicken breasts, sliced
Directions
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Make Dressing
For dressing, in a medium bowl whisk together first eight ingredients (through minced onion) until well combined.
-
Assemble
Place lettuce in a large bowl. Top with sliced grilled chicken or homemade Balsamic Chicken and remaining ingredients. Serve with dressing.
Any restaurant names or trademarks in the names of our recipes are included solely for reference and do not indicate any authorization or approval by their owners. All recipes were independently created and have not been reviewed or approved by any other parties.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| 468 | Calories |
| 27g | Fat |
| 31g | Carbs |
| 29g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 4 | |
| Calories 468.4 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 27.3g | 35% |
| Saturated Fat 3.9g | 20% |
| Cholesterol 97.7mg | 33% |
| Sodium 555.6mg | 24% |
| Total Carbohydrate 31.5g | 11% |
| Dietary Fiber 7g | 25% |
| Total Sugars 21.9g | |
| Protein 29.3g | 59% |
| Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% |
| Vitamin C 75.7mg | 84% |
| Calcium 113.1mg | 9% |
| Iron 2.3mg | 13% |
| Potassium 938.6mg | 20% |
| Fatty acids, total trans 0g | |
| Vitamin D 2.1IU | |
| Alanine 1.7g | |
| Arginine 2g | |
| Ash 3.9g | |
| Aspartic acid 2.9g | |
| Caffeine 0mg | |
| Carotene, alpha 79.2mcg | |
| Choline, total 127.6mg | |
| Copper, Cu 0.4mg | |
| Cystine 0.3g | |
| Energy 1963.9kJ | |
| Fluoride, F 3.3mcg | |
| Folate, total 166.8mcg | |
| Glutamic acid 4.4g | |
| Glycine 1.3g | |
| Histidine 1g | |
| Isoleucine 1.4g | |
| Leucine 2.3g | |
| Lysine 2.6g | |
| Methionine 0.7g | |
| Magnesium, Mg 84.5mg | |
| Manganese, Mn 1.5mg | |
| Niacin 10.7mg | |
| Phosphorus, P 329.6mg | |
| Pantothenic acid 1.9mg | |
| Phenylalanine 1.2g | |
| Phytosterols 7.7mg | |
| Proline 1g | |
| Retinol 11.2mcg | |
| Selenium, Se 39.2mcg | |
| Serine 1.2g | |
| Starch 0.1g | |
| Theobromine 0mg | |
| Threonine 1.3g | |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 1.6mg | |
| Tryptophan 0.4g | |
| Tyrosine 1g | |
| Valine 1.5g | |
| Vitamin A, IU 8823.5IU | |
| Vitamin A, RAE 451.3mcg | |
| Vitamin B-12 0.2mcg | |
| Vitamin B-6 1.1mg | |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 131.3mcg | |
| Water 324.2g | |
| Zinc, Zn 1.9mg | |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
