Strawberry Beet Chicken Spinach Salad

Technically it is Spring but here the weather has been unpredictable. Dinner is starting to be as predictable as the weather forecast, which well we all know isn’t usually very accurate especially this time of year. Even the days are hot and cold, layers are our friends as you are cold one minute and hot the next. My food cravings are in this same unpredictable state right now. I go grocery shopping and see beets and crave a beet salad so that is what’s for dinner. Well until the temp warms up and I’m thinking oh no I want a strawberry spinach salad, as my beets are roasting. Well what does one do, just put the two salads your craving together and make a beet and strawberry spinach salad! Yep took one of my favorite beet and goat cheese salads and my strawberry, chicken/tofu, walnut, goat cheese salad and put them together. I figured spinach would pair better than the arugula. I’m not a huge dressing person and usually there are enough flavors in the salad so I just used a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. I bet it would also be good with a dejon or honey mustard dressing.

Have your meals fully transitioned into spring or are they still stuck between the seasons?

Strawberry Beet Chicken Spinach Salad
Makes 1 serving, easily multiplied for 2 or 4 people
4oz grilled chicken or tofu (used Beyond Meat Grilled Chicken Free Chicken Strips)
2-3c baby spinach
1/2c strawberry halves
1 med golden roasted beet, sliced
1-2oz fresh goat cheese, crumbled
1 TBSP walnut pieces
Dressing of choice, or drizzle of balsamic and or extra virgin olive oil and fresh ground pepper and salt

Assemble salad as desired, if you like it mixed in a big bowl mix it all up if you want it plated pretty plate spinach and top with grilled chicken/tofu, strawberries, beets, crumbled cheese, and walnut pieces. Toss or drizzle with dressing. If only the weather were as easy to predict as this salad is to put together! Enjoy!