Name: Chicken Spinach Salad with Apples and Strawberries
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 5 oz. fresh spinach; 2 cups roasted chicken breast, shredded or chopped; 2 cups sliced strawberries; 2 apples, diced; 1 package Ramen Noodles (sans flavor packet); 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; 2 tablespoons honey; Salt and pepper, to taste

Jump to Recipe

This Chicken Spinach Salad recipe, filled with rotisserie chicken, fresh strawberries and crisp apples, is incredibly fresh and delicious. Topped with a sweet spinach salad dressing, this simple salad is perfect for any meal. Makes 4 servings.

Love a quick salad? Summer Quinoa Salad and Salmon Niçoise Salad are some of our favorites, too!

Two bowls of Chicken Spinach Salad with a blue napkin

This Chicken Spinach Salad with Apples and Strawberries was originally published on June 3, 2015. The text, photography and recipe were updated and republished in April 2021.

Who doesn’t love fresh baby spinach paired with roasted chicken, sweet strawberries and crisp apples?

Add in a crunchy salad topping (hello, Ramen Noodles, I adore you!) and a sweet honey vinaigrette, and you’ve got an excellent salad that tastes like summer flavors.

Why I love this spinach salad recipe:

This salad recipe was developed when I was impatiently waiting for our daughter to be born and had a raging sweet tooth that was hard to satisfy.

One day, I decided to make a naturally sweet salad for lunch instead of devouring more Oreos (my pregnancy treat of choice), and I’ve been making it ever since.

The charm in this salad is that it’s an easy recipe for lunch or dinner. You can also make the elements ahead of time to meal prep this recipe, and that, to me, is pretty excellent.

So. If you’re like me and are looking for a good summer salad that has some natural sweetness to it, let me recommend my Spinach Apple Salad with Chicken and Strawberries.

Other spinach salad recipes you might enjoy: Summer Quinoa Salad | Steak and Sweet Pepper Salad | Turkey Taco Salad | Blueberry Pecan Feta Salad | Chicken Shawarma Salad

Looking for more meal inspiration? Check out my Dinner Recipe Index for ideas.

Ingredients for a spinach salad with chicken in bowls on marble

What you need to make this Spinach Salad recipe:

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Let’s talk ingredients!

In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.

Here’s what you need:

Fresh baby spinach — or your favorite salad green. Romaine and arugula would also be delicious here. So would a spring mix.
Chicken — you can roast your own chicken breast/thighs or you can use rotisserie chicken as a shortcut
Strawberries — fresh, please and thank you. Clean them before slicing them.
Apple — use your favorite. I’ve got Honeycrisp listed in the recipe card because it’s my favorite, but you do you!
Ramen Noodles — any flavor is fine because we’re going to crush and toast them and most importantly, leave out the flavor packet
Unsalted butter — or salted butter, if that’s what you have on hand. While you could substitute this with a neutral oil, I really like the flavor the butter lends to the ramen noodles.
Extra virgin olive oil — or another neutral oil. This makes the salad dressing.
Apple cider vinegar — ACV adds some much needed tanginess to our salad dressing. There’s no replacement for it. This is not the same thing as apple cider.
Honey — to add a little sweetness to the dressing. You could sub maple syrup if you don’t have honey.
Salt and pepper — kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper are my go-tos here.

Chicken, ramen noodles and fruit on top of a spinach salad

A honey vinaigrette on a marble countertop

How to make Chicken Spinach Salad with Apples and Strawberries

Make the Ramen noodle topping. In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the crushed up Ramen noodles to the skillet without the flavor packet, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula until golden brown. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

Don’t leave the crunchy topping in the skillet because it could burn as the pan holds residual heat.

Make the spinach salad dressing. Combine the olive oil, apple cider vinegar and honey in a mason jar or a liquid measuring cup. Season with salt and pepper. Shake until combined, then set aside.

Make the spinach salad recipe. In a large bowl, measure in the spinach, chicken, strawberries and apple. Drizzle in the vinaigrette and toss with tongs until all ingredients are coated. Serve on individual plates and top with the crispy Ramen noodles.

Apples, strawberries and chicken on a spinach salad

Honey vinaigrette pours on top of a chicken spinach salad with fruit

Make Ahead Tips and Tricks

Cook the ramen noodles in advance. Keep them in an airtight food container on the countertop or in the pantry.
Make the vinaigrette in advance, too. Store in the fridge.
Use rotisserie chicken or roast your own, and immediately shred it. Store in an airtight food container in the fridge.
Slice the strawberries ahead of time, too, if you’ll be eating this within 2-3 days. Keep an eye on your strawberries, though, because they will go bad faster once washed.

Other summer salad recipes to try this year:

4 servings

Chicken Spinach Salad with Apples and Strawberries

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Spinach salad, studded with roasted chicken breast, fresh strawberries and apples, tastes like the summertime! Topped with a sweet and simple Honey Vinaigrette and toasted Ramen Noodles, this salad is perfect for a crowd or a quick lunch.

Ingredients

Salad

5 oz. fresh spinach
2 cups roasted chicken breast, shredded or chopped
2 cups sliced strawberries
2 apples, diced

Ramen Noodle Topping

1 package Ramen Noodles (sans flavor packet)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Honey Vinaigrette

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Make the Ramen noodle topping. In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the crushed up Ramen noodles (without the flavor packet) to the skillet, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula until golden brown. Remove from the skillet and set aside to cool.
Make the spinach salad dressing. In a mason jar, combine the olive oil, apple cider vinegar and honey. Season with salt and pepper. Shake until combined, then set aside.
Make the salad. In a large bowl, measure in the spinach, chicken, strawberries and apple.
Drizzle in the vinaigrette and toss with tongs until all ingredients are coated in the dressing.
Serve on individual plates and top with the crispy Ramen noodles.

Notes

A note on ingredients in this salad:

You can use your favorite type of apple. Honeycrisp is mine, and I think it works beautifully here because it's nice and crisp and sweet.
The spinach salad dressing is on the sweeter end because it's a honey vinaigrette. In my opinion, it pairs well with the rest of the ingredients in this salad. If you're looking for something a little different, try my Strawberry Vinaigrette.

Make ahead tips and tricks:

Cook the ramen noodles in advance. Keep them in an airtight food container on the countertop or in the pantry.
Make the vinaigrette in advance, too. Store in the fridge.
Use rotisserie chicken or roast your own, and immediately shred it. Store in an airtight food container in the fridge.
Slice the strawberries in advance, too, if you'll be eating this within 2-3 days.

6 Comments

LD says:

June 3, 2015 at 2:40 pm

FYI: Pinterest will not allow me to pin any of your recipes … they say you have been reported for excessive spam.

You have a lot of delicious recipes, but, if I can pin them????

1. Erin says:
  
  June 3, 2015 at 6:19 pm
  
  Thanks for the heads up, LD. I think we’ve gotten it figured out and the pinning issue has been sorted out. Let me know if it works for you when you’ve got a chance!
  
LD says:

June 3, 2015 at 6:32 pm

Yes, it now works ……….. thanks.

1. Erin says:
  
  June 11, 2015 at 3:41 pm
  
  You’re welcome! Happy to hear it’s working.
  
Natalie @ Obsessive Cooking Disorder says:

June 11, 2015 at 1:51 pm

I had no idea those crunchy things in salads were just uncooked ramen noodles *mindblown*

My teacher swears that what you eat/crave during pregnancy is what the kid will grow up loving. So oreos and salad – at least they balance each other haha. Congrats btw!

1. Erin says:
  
  June 11, 2015 at 3:42 pm
  
  Ha! I love me some crunchies in my salad… and I think toasting the ramen noodles in a little butter makes them EVEN BETTER. (Hello, I might have a problem…)
  
  Too funny that your teacher swears that pregnancy cravings are what the kid will love when they grow up. I guess we’ll see, but if nothing else, at least she’ll have a good balance. Haha! Thank you!