summery brussel sprout, chicken, and strawberry vinaigrette salad

hi friends!

good morning, and welcome to this week’s round of, where the heckin’ heck in time and space are we and wow it felt like 832 things needed to squish into this week but what exactly were they? it was a whirlwind and it was over in a blink, but i guess that’s summer for you. i’d like to commit to a lot of grand, fun-time july plans, like floating down a river in a tube, drinking lightly sweating glasses of rose´, strolling through the farmer’s market, and planning a road trip to south carolina. please note how none of these things involved standing over a hot stove, because i simply don’t have the patience to roast anything or my face in this weather. re:re: ad nauseam IT IS SO HOT IN VIRGINIA AND WOW it feels like my northern blood is actually coagulating from the thicket of humidity.

we’re coping by making chilled salads and taking cold showers. soldiering onward and keeping things delicious, as we do.

here’s what we’re working with: shredded brussel sprouts, some chicken - leftover chicken works really well here! eeeeeasy! - fresh, juicy strawberries, cucumbers, a shallot for some zip, avocado for creaminess and because it’s my millennial birthright to figure out how to top every recipe with one, and a bright, sweet strawberry vinaigrette. sort of like a fridge clean-out situation because you probably have a lot of these things on hand, but sort of a glow-up, too.

super tasty and super summery, and the fact that i packed it for a work lunch 4 days in a row can really attest to the fact that it will not feel boring. it’s a win, win, WIN.

a few things before we get started:

- you can prep the brussel sprouts and chicken separately ahead of time if that works for your life/sched. i happened to have already-cooked chicken in the fridge, so i just diced them right before making the salad
- PRO TIP on shredded brussel sprouts! chop the ends off and toss them in a food processor. pulse it a few times, and voila, shredded brussel sprouts
- we’re using a little honey with the vinaigrette. agave works here, too, and please don’t skip this extra kiss of sweetness. the strawberries are a little sweet on their own, but a bit of a boost really makes them shine
- totally easy to swap the protein here! shrimp, tempeh, or a grain would work beautifully in place of the chicken if that’s not your jam + preference
- if you’re making this for meal prep, wait to dress the salad, and add the avocado when you’re ready to eat

summery brussel sprout, chicken, and strawberry vinaigrette salad
makes: 4 servings
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: varies depending on the chicken

for the salad:
1lb brussel sprouts, ends removed and shredded (i like to pulse them a few times in the food processor - super quick and easy)
2 cooked chicken breasts (this is a great way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken. you can also use pre-cooked chicken breasts to save time)
1c strawberries, sliced
2 mini cucumbers, sliced
1 shallot, sliced (I happened to have pickled shallots in the fridge that i used for this - a fresh shallot or pickled red onion works wonderfully here)
1 avocado, sliced

for the vinaigrette:
1/2c strawberries, sliced
1/4c olive oil
1/4c red wine vinegar
2tsp honey (agave works here, too)
1/2tsp salt
1/2tsp black pepper

place all the ingredients for the salad except the avocado in a large bowl. blend the vinaigrette until smooth, and adjust seasoning to taste. toss the salad with the vinaigrette, then top with the avocado.

*if you’re prepping this ahead of time for the week, add the vinaigrette and avocado when serving and eating. truly nothing worse than a sad, mostly brown avocado and soggy cucumbers.