Strawberry Cucumber Salad with Grilled Lemon Chicken

Some of the best recipes are those that feel fancy enough for a dinner party, but are simple enough to pull together on a busy Tuesday night.  This Strawberry Cucumber Salad with Lemon Grilled Chicken is exactly one of those recipes.  Fresh greens, juicy ripe strawberries, creamy mozzarella, crunchy pistachios and cooling mint come together in a salad that tastes just as beautiful as it looks.  Topped with bright, citrusy grilled chicken, it’s the perfect balance of fresh, satisfying, and effortless.

This Strawberry Cucumber Salad with Grilled Chicken is proof that salads don’t have to be boring. It’s fresh, colourful, packed with texture, and somehow manages to feel both effortlessly casual and dinner-party worthy at the same time. Best of all? It comes together quickly, making it perfect for busy weeknights when you still want something that feels a little special.

Every bite is loaded with sweet, juicy strawberries, crisp cucumber, crunchy pistachios, and creamy mozzarella for the ultimate mix of flavours and textures. Then comes the star of the show: tender lemon-marinated grilled chicken that adds a bright, smoky, protein-packed finish and turns this into a seriously satisfying meal.

If you’re looking for an easy summer salad recipe that tastes as good as it looks, this one checks every box. It’s light yet filling, fresh yet comforting, and fancy enough for guests without requiring hours in the kitchen. Whether you’re hosting friends, meal prepping lunches, or just trying to use up summer strawberries, this grilled chicken strawberry salad is guaranteed to earn a spot on repeat all season long.

Making the Most of Strawberry Season

There’s something about strawberry season that instantly makes everything feel like summer.  In Ontario, the local strawberries roll into season by mid-to-late June, and I can’t help myself when faced with a table full of overflowing strawberry baskets at the farm stand.  I buy as many as I can carry, and work strawberries into our menus at breakfast, lunch and dinner.  This Strawberry Cucumber Salad is the perfect recipe for strawberry season, since it really shows off peak-season flavour, sweetness and colour.  I make it a personal mission to eat as many local strawberries as possible – while they are available – because the season is short.  So, here’s to strawberry pies, strawberry salads, strawberry picnics, strawberry socials and strawberries-on-your-everything.  It’s the best and sweetest time of year.  

What goes in Strawberry Cucumber Salad with Grilled Lemon Chicken?

This show-stopping salad comes together with a handful of fresh, vibrant ingredients that create the perfect balance of sweet, savoury, crisp and creamy flavours.

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil:  Adding flavour and moisture to the chicken, extra virgin olive oil forms the base of the marinade.  Use an olive oil with good flavour, but no need to use your top-shelf bottle here.
• Lemon Juice:  For best lemon taste, use freshly squeezed lemon juice in the marinade.
• Honey:  Just a little honey adds a subtle sweetness to the marinade that balances the acidity of the lemon juice.
• Green Onions:  Depending on where you live, green onions might be called spring onions or scallions.  Green onions add a fresh and subtle savoury note to the marinade.
• Fresh Ginger:  Keeping fresh ginger root in the freezer makes it easy to grate and ensures you’ll always have some on hand.
• Kosher Salt: I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt in my recipes for its clean taste, and lower sodium per volume compared to many other kosher salt brands.
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper:  Tasting infinitely better than the pre-ground black pepper commonly sold in supermarkets, grinding peppercorns as you need them adds fresh taste and a subtle heat to recipes.
• Mixed Baby Lettuce:  Also known as Spring Mix or Mesclun, this collection of edible baby leaves typically includes an assortment of baby arugula, chervil, spinach, oak leaf, radicchio and other tender lettuces.  Look for it in the produce section of most good grocery stores, often sold in clamshell packaging.  If you can’t find mixed baby lettuces, baby spinach works well in this salad.
• English Cucumber:  English cucumber is used in this recipe because of its edible skin and long length, resulting in long ribbons when cut with a vegetable peeler.  These long ribbons of cucumber twist beautifully into curls, adding crunch and visual interest to the salad.  If you don’t want to cut cucumber into ribbons, simply dice it up and proceed.
• Strawberries:  Fresh, in-season strawberries are the star of this dish, adding stunning colour and sweetness to the salad.
• Fresh Mozzarella:  Two balls of fresh mozzarella are sliced up to add a creamy component to this dish.  If you can’t find fresh mozzarella, bocconcini or fiore di latte cheese are good substitutes.
• Avocados:  Adding a rich, creamy texture to this salad, avocados also bring good fats that make the dish more satisfying and flavourful.  If making this strawberry cucumber salad in advance, wait to cut your avocados until just before serving time to avoid browning.   
• Fresh Mint: Fresh mint adds a bright, cooling flavour to the salad that makes every bite taste extra fresh and refreshing.
• Pistachios:  Adding a delicious crunchy texture and subtle nutty flavour, pistachios perfectly compliment the sweet strawberries and crisp cucumbers in this fresh salad recipe.
• Mediterranean Lemon Vinaigrette:  This very popular Style and Grace recipe for Mediterranean Lemon Vinaigrette is simple to prepare with just 3 ingredients (plus salt and pepper!) and adds fresh and balanced lemon flavour to this Strawberry Cucumber Salad with Grilled Lemon Chicken.  It comes together in under 5 minutes, and can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge.  The olive oil in the dressing recipe may solidify when chilled, so bring the dressing to room temperature before serving.  I usually serve a pitcher of this dressing on the side and let each person add their own, but you can also drizzle it over the salad before serving, if you’d like.  

 Mediterranean Lemon Vinaigrette

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Salad as a meal?  Of course!  A hearty salad can be one of the most satisfying meals, especially when it’s packed with fresh produce, protein, healthy fats, and plenty of texture.  This Strawberry Cucumber Salad with Grilled Lemon Chicken proves that salads can be both light and filling at the same time, meaning that little else is needed to make a complete meal.  Naturally, a loaf of warm crusty bread served on the side is a lovely addition.  I would double the recipe for the Mediterranean Lemon Dressing to make sure there’s enough for dipping the bread.

Here’s a menu for a summer dinner party:  I’d start with Whipped Feta with Garlic and Thyme, marinated olives and roasted almonds, served with a welcome cocktail.  Hmmm, maybe a simple and fresh Bee’s Knees cocktail? Once seated at the table, as a first course I would offer a light and refreshing gazpacho, topped with grilled shrimp.   Following the gazpacho, I’d serve this Strawberry and Cucumber Salad with Grilled Lemon Chicken as the main event, with warm artisan bread and Fresh Herb Butter.  In keeping with the “Summer Fresh” theme, I’d keep things simple with grilled peaches and vanilla bean ice cream for dessert.   This menu is light, seasonal and effortlessly elegant – built around fresh produce, grilled proteins and small, flavourful bites.  It’s a warm-weather menu perfect for easy entertaining: refreshing, colourful, balanced, and not too fussy; just enough variety to feel special without being heavy or complicated!

Do you love dinner salads that include vibrant, fresh ingredients and hearty protein?  Me too!  Check out these other Style and Grace salad recipes for dinner inspiration.

Spring Salad with Chicken and Lemon Dressing

DRINK PAIRINGS

This fresh and flavourful summer meal pairs beautifully with citrusy beverages that enhance the sweet strawberries, crisp cucumber and smoky grilled chicken.  A chilled Sauvignon Blanc would be lovely here, or a lightly sparkling rosé.  A cucumber mint gin cocktail would add a refreshing twist to this delicious meal that begs to be eaten al fresco.  For non-alcoholic options, try a sparkling strawberry lemonade, a cucumber lime Agua Fresca or iced green tea with fresh mint to compliment the salad’s vibrant flavours.