Strawberry Poppyseed and Chicken Salad
A Panera Bread inspired salad recipe made with crunchy Romaine lettuce, fresh strawberries, blueberries, pineapple and mandarine oranges topped with crispy vegan chicken, toasted pecans and my creamy No Blend Poppyseed Dressing.
Ingredients
- 5 cups Romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 cup strawberries sliced
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup pineapple chopped
- 1/2 cup mandarine orange segments
- 1/3 cup pecans chopped
- 8 pieces vegan chicken
- No Blend Poppyseed Dressing recipe below
No Blend Poppyseed Dressing (this makes a 12oz of dressing)
- 1 cup plain unsweetened almond milk yogurt I used Kite Hill, see notes below for subs
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 1 tbsp white rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp light agave
- 1/2 tsp onion granules
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt I use Morton's
- 1 tbsp poppyseeds
Instructions
Directions
- Bake the vegan chicken according to the package directions. Toast the pecans in a dry, medium sized skillet set to medium high heat for about 1 minute or until lightly golden and toasted. Remove from the pan and set aside. Make the Dressing: In the meantime, add the yogurt, water, orange juice, agave, and spices to a container with a lid. Shake vigorously for about 30 seconds or until well combined. Then taste and seaosn with addtional salt as needed. Make the Salad: Next combine the lettuce, strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, mandarines and pecans in a large mixing bowl and add about 1/4 cup of dressing. Mix well then divide between two large plates. https://nikkivegan.com/best-ever-vegan-ranch-recipe/Top each salad with the warm vegan chicken and an addiitonal drizzle of dressing. Enjoy!
Notes
The base of this creamy dressing is plain unsweetened almond milk yogurt. I chose this because it's incredibly creamy and it doesn't have a strong flavor. I find that coconut and cashew based yogurts can impart too much flavor so I don't recommend using those here.
If you're not using almond milk yogurt, I think the best option would be vegan mayo. Mayo based dressing have the consistency of ranch dressing, like this one.
Speaking of consistency, if the yogurt you're using isn't very thick, use a little less water to start with and then add more gradually until you reach the preferred consistency.
This dressing makes 12 ounces of dressing so you'll have leftovers to use for salads or to serve as dip with veggies throughout the week. Leftover dressing will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for about 10 days.
A zesty vinaigrette would also be delicious in place of poppyseed dressing if you'd like to change it up! Store bought balsamic vinaigrette or a simple homemade red wine vinaigrette made with extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper would be great too!