I love a fresh strawberry salad. Adding fruit to a salad is such a simple move, but it instantly makes everything feel brighter, more interesting, and more satisfying. Strawberries are especially good here… juicy, slightly sweet, and perfect with tangy vinaigrette, crunchy nuts, and creamy cheese.
This meal prep strawberry salad with chicken is inspired by spring flavors, using strawberries, leeks, and a light spring mix. It’s fresh without being boring, filling without being heavy, and flexible enough to make work for whatever you’ve got in the fridge. Whether you eat it straight from the fridge or warm up the chicken first, it’s a salad you’ll actually look forward to all week.
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How do you cook leeks?
If you haven’t cooked with leeks before, don’t worry, they’re easier than they look.
Here’s what to know:
- Remove the dark green tops. You can discard them or save them for stock.
- Slice the white and light green parts, then wash them really well. Leeks love to hide dirt.
- Pat dry before cooking so they sauté instead of steaming.
If leeks aren’t your thing (or you can’t find them), any onion works as a swap. Red, yellow, white, or even pearl onions are all great options here.
Related: 25 Easy Meal Prep Lunches For Beginner Home Cooks
Tips for making this Strawberry Salad
- Use skin-on chicken for that rotisserie chicken feel (or use rotisserie chicken!)
- Swap out the dressing for your favorite variety. Poppyseed dressing, creamy avocado, and green goddess dressings would all be delicious. Store-bought is always welcome here!
- Swap out the greens. I wanted a spring vibe so I opted for a baby spring mix, but you can definitely use kale, spinach, arugula, or chopped lettuce.
- For extra oomph, throw some fresh herbs in with your greens: basil, cilantro, parsley, and mint would all be delicious.
- Add more carbs! Croutons, rice, quinoa, orzo, potato, sweet potato, or even a tortilla to make a salad wrap.
- If you just don’t like feta cheese- swap it out for gorgonzola, blue cheese, or goat cheese!
- If you don’t like strawberries–apples, pears, nectarines, apricots, and even plums would work in this!
- Add some more crunch! Walnuts, cashews, peanuts, seeds, or croutons would be great.
- Adding a sliced avocado would be awesome if you have one!
Related: 18 Meal Prep Recipes For When You Have No Microwave or Fridge At Work
How to make this spring salad vegetarian
You can easily turn this into a vegetarian meal prep salad.
Instead of chicken, use:
- 8 oz tempeh
- Tofu
- Chickpeas
- Seitan
- Veggie ground “meat”
Cook and season your protein the same way you would the chicken, then build the salad as usual.
How do you make non-dairy feta?
Feta adds a nice tang and creaminess to this salad but it’s totally optional! If you are vegan or dairy-free, you can use store-bought vegan feta (Violife is a great brand) or you can make tofu feta! Here’s a simple recipe if you want to make your own feta for these salads:
- 16 oz tofu, drained, pressed, and crumbled
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1TBSP apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt
Combine the crumbled tofu, 1/2 the lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and salt in a bowl and combine with a fork. Taste and adjust flavors, adding more lemon, vinegar, or salt if necessary.
Related: 20 Meal Prep Salads That You’ll Actually Enjoy Eating
How to store this strawberry salad
This salad is meal-prep friendly and low maintenance.
Storage tips:
- Keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days
- Not freezer-friendly
- Store dressing separately if possible to keep greens fresh
You don’t need to reheat it, but warming up the chicken and leeks before adding them back to the salad is really nice. It also tastes great cold or at room temperature.
Happy prepping!
Don’t forget to try out these other delicious salad recipes!
- Mandarin Orange Salad With Salmon and Sesame Dressing
- Chicken Waldorf Salad With Quinoa (No Mayo!)
- Brussel Sprout Caesar Salad (Homemade Dressing!)
- The “Everyday” Kale Salad With Homemade Dressing
- Basil Lime Chicken & Peach Kale Salad
Want more fresh, flexible meal prep salads like this?
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Meal Prep Strawberry Salad With Chicken
Ingredients
For the cooked components
- 3 leeks white/light green part only, halved and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 TBSP olive oil divided
- 12 oz boneless chicken thighs
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper
For everything else
- 6 oz spring mix sub greens of your choice
- 1.5 cup strawberries sliced
- 1 cup almonds chopped, sub nuts or seeds of your choice
- 1 cup feta cheese sub crumbly cheese of your choice
- For the honey balsamic vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
- 1 TBSP honey plus more to taste, sub agave or maple syrup
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic minced
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C).
- In a bowl or zip-top bag, combine the leeks with 1 TBSP of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until the pieces are well coated and add them to a rimmed baking sheet. Spread them out a little bit so they aren’t touching, leaving room for the chicken.
- To the same bowl or bag, add the chicken thighs, the remaining 1 TBSP of olive oil, the garlic powder, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until the thighs are well coated, then transfer them to the rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked (juices run clear). Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before chopping into chunks for the salad.
- While the chicken cooks, make the vinaigrette. In a bowl or jar, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper. Either whisk or shake vigorously until the vinaigrette is fully combined. Taste the vinaigrette and add more salt and sweetener as needed.
- Assemble the salad. If you plan to eat this salad cold, add a third of your greens, chopped chicken, leeks, strawberries, feta cheese, and almonds to a container. If you want to eat this as a warm salad (my preference!), store the chicken and leeks in a container separate from the greens, strawberries, feta cheese, and almonds. Repeat two more times. Store the vinaigrette on the side until you are ready to eat.
Sparkles says
I made this just as described, and it was fabulous. It made three great workweek lunches. I used raw almonds, which was a good choice. The chicken thighs I used were small, so it only took 20 minutes for them to cook in the oven.
Carrie Havranek says
We are so glad you enjoyed this! It is a really good one.