Cheese

Grilled Chicken Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

Grilled Chicken Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette | MarlaMeridith.com

After all that delightful but heavy food in New Orleans I am craving BIG summer salads. We are in our third week of Get Grillin’ and these days I toss everything on the grill including irresistible Camembert cheese. The theme for our grill event this week is entrees. You guys will love our giveaway….$100 worth of spectacular Ile De France cheese. Are you ready to fire up your grills? Cookin’ Canuck and I sure are.

Ile de France, Rosle, Emile Henry, MansPans, Rouxbe logos for Get Grillin'

I love salads and eat at least one a day. I keep all my veggies, dressing and lean proteins at the ready at all times. It is easy to have your own food fast if you have it prepped ahead of time right and waiting in your fridge.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette | MarlaMeridith.com

Look at that Camembert…..I am addicted to it. Thank you Ile De France for assisting in my obsession with this soft cheese.

I also had the pleasure of enjoying huge quantities of their Fol Epi and Etori. IDF generously sent me full wheels of their cheese. You guys need to come on over to join me for a cheese party.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette | MarlaMeridith.com
I told you I tossed virtually everything on the grill for this salad. The corn made popping sounds over the open flame.

Grilled and charred corn on the cob recipe

See my new fleur de lis tea towel? I got in on my recent trip to New Orleans. You will probably be seeing a lot of it. I also got one in a golden yellow color. I have always loved this emblem as a decorative element. This graphic is representative of French royalty.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette | MarlaMeridith.com

I am in love with this balsamic vinaigrette I whipped up using fresh strawberries, olive oil and Dijon Mustard. Something about that touch of sweet with all the savory is heavenly.

Between the Ile De France cheese, Dijon mustard and fleur de lis there is a little frenchy theme going on in this post. I had not meant for that to happen, but I like that it did.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette | MarlaMeridith.com

Big entree salads are super easy to whip up for the family or for entertaining guests. Use the freshest veggies you can find. Prep everything ahead of time so when guests arrive plating is a cinch. I used our favorite Grilled Lemon Garlic Chicken for this salad.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette | MarlaMeridith.com

Let’s take one last look at that Camembert shall we….I got the idea for the grilled cheese from the awesome Heather Christo.

Hot Melted Camembert Cheese on MarlaMeridith.com

What is your favorite cheese? What are your favorite ingredients to add to salads?

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:238]

Entree Salad Recipe Links

Summer grill blogger event hosted by food blogs

Giveaway Details

This giveaway is now closed, thanks for all of your entries. The winner will be posted soon.

Our awesome sponsor Ile De France is providing one lucky reader with $100 worth of decadent French cheese. I am sure you can think of many things you can do with all that cheese.

This giveaway is open to USA visitors and will be open until Sunday, June 26th at 5pm PST.

The winner will be chosen at Random.org and will be notified via email, so please make sure your email address is correct. You will have 48 hours to respond to me, or a new winner will be chosen.

This week’s theme is Entrees. Remember, your recipes do not have to be made on the grill. Any backyard barbecue-appropriate recipe will do.

How to Enter

1) You can enter up to three (3) recipes in each week of Get Grillin’

If you don’t have a blog, that’s okay. Just leave your recipe in the comments section of our themed post during any day of the themed week. Just do so on either Dara’s or my blog, not both.

2) For a chance to win Ile De France Cheese, enter your recipe(s) using the recipe link widget found below. Add your link to your grilling post to the widget on either MarlaMeridith.com or Cookin’ Canuck. You only need to add it on one site, but it will show up on both.If you don’t have a blog, then enter your recipe in the comments section. Read below for instructions on earning extra entries.

3) Somewhere in your post, please include the following “Get Grillin’ with MarlaMeridith.com and Cookin’ Canuck, sponsored by Ile de France Cheese, Rösle, Emile Henry, Rouxbe and ManPans.” This must be included for a chance to win the prize of the week.

To earn additional entries (you can only do so if you have entered a recipe), leave a separate comment for each of the steps listed below. If you don’t leave separate comments for each step, the number generator will not count them as separate entries.

  1. Re-tweet this giveaway, being sure to include my Twitter handle (@MarlaMeridith). Here’s a sample tweet you could use: #GetGrillin w/@MarlaMeridith & @cookincanuck Share Entree recipes: enter our giveaway $100 worth of @IDFCheese http://su.pr/17fizq
  2. Follow @MarlaMeridith on Twitter
  3. Follow @CookinCanuck on Twitter
  4. Follow @IDFCheese on Twitter
  5. Copy and paste our Get Grillin’ Badge into your sidebar or blog post.
  6. Stumble this post

*You can stay in touch with Ile De France on Facebook, MarlaMeridith.com or Cookin’ Canuck too.

Dara and I are featured on the Ile De France webpage. Head on over to check out our interviews.

Add ANY Entree Recipe Links Here

[/donotprint]

~ Marla Meridith

Join the Conversation

117 thoughts on “Grilled Chicken Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

    1. Maria, the key to a perfect salad is the freshest ingredients! I was so happy with all the produce the day of this shoot and how well behaved it was behind the camera 😉

  1. Not entering a recipe so guess I am not entering the giveaway but it’s a great one. Nice cheese prize!

    I love your new towel w. the fleur de lis.

    And I am loving that weathered wood plank all your shots are on. I need to either make one like that from home depot, paint, sand it down, etc. Ugh.

    Or buy one. I’d like to do this. Any retail suggestions for me? 🙂

    And that melty brie at the end. Drool.

    1. Hi Averie, I also need to make weathered boards. Nope can’t find them anywhere to purchase either & I have been on the hunt!!
      What you see in my photos is an old teak table we have had for years. I wish I had like 20 of ’em in different colors.
      Glad you like my new tea towel – and isn’t that melty Camembert amazing? It was a intact wheel at the beginning of the shoot & then when I turned around it was that puddle!
      Silly cheese.

    1. Hi guys……… I just did some research on how Brie and Camembert differ from one another. They are slightly related – both being soft ripened cheeses. At first glance they look the same.
      There are a few differences I found.
      – Traditionally Brie was made in an area south-east of Paris where the cattle grazed on stony river beds.
      – Camembert was originally made hundreds of miles to the west, near the coast in Normandy, where a different breed of cattle grazed on lush green pastures.
      – Brie and Camembert were made in different sizes: Brie a large flat wheel, Camembert a small high cylinder.
      – Both the raw ingredients and the differing surface areas resulted in the different tastes between the cheeses.
      – Brie is creamier in flavor to Camembert. The taste and the odor of Camembert is indeed stronger.
      I LOVE ’em both 🙂
      Ile de France: If you want to step in and add to that info I found feel free to do so 🙂

  2. Now that I’ve been getting TONS of lettuce in my CSA, I’ve been seeking out new fun salad recipes! Anything with camembert and that super delicious strawberry vinaigrette has to be amazing. This is definitely going to be made this week!

    1. Joanne, you are a lucky girl to get those fresh CSA baskets. I need to do that too. Not sure how it would pan out with all the traveling I do though…..lots of wilted veggies? You must try the strawberry vinaigrette *love*

  3. Absolutely stunning colors, Marla. And that grilled cheese – oh my! I’m excited to be kicking off our Get Grillin’ entree week and looking forward to seeing what recipes everyone shares.

  4. Absolutely STUNNING photos and food. This is why I love the season. Sommer just now posted grilled corn – hope she enters for you. I meant to add my grilled prosciutto and asparagus last week. It is too late?
    🙂
    Valerie

    1. Hi Valerie, great to see you here! We have closed our link up for last week but Dara and I would LOVE any of your entree links for this week. Go ahead and add your grilled prosciutto & asparagus & 2 others if you wish. I could eat that asparagus as an entree – would just enjoy more of them! xo

  5. Marla I love this salad. I am a cheese lover. That roasted corn looks amazing. I wish I could taste and smell all your photos. They are so beautiful!. I am going to make that vinaigrette today. Summer is here

  6. Your salad looks like a bouqet. It’s gorgeously arranged, in color and orientation. The balsamic vinegarette has an interesting twist with the inclusion of pureed strawberries. The cheese probably gives it all that extra oomph. Haven’t tried this one before but I’d love to. I will have to enter this sweeps!

  7. next time we get together, can you make me a batch of that “cheese”. That is simply heaven on parchment. It’s salad week. Yay! I have stuff some ideas for you! xx

  8. Needless to say I love EVERYTHING about this salad and I cannot wait to make your vinaigrette – like you I am a sucker for the savory/sweet combo in salads!!
    Love the dishtowel as well – so glad you had such a blast in NOLA!!!

  9. Did someone mention French cheese?!!! OMG Marla never thought it would be you pushing fromage at us! The stinkier the better is what I say.

  10. This is a great giveaway Marla! I love adding cheese to salads it really kicks it up. I like goat cheese or feta usually, but some fresh mozzarella can be nice as well. Thanks for the giveaway – it looks awesome!

    1. Katrina, a little cheese certainly goes a long way. A great way to add flavor & to satisfy hunger….especially when you use the good stuff 🙂

  11. What a delicious salad! I have been on a huge salad kick lately. I can’t get enough 🙂 I love the sound of this dressing too. I gotta give it a try! Also the grilled corn looks delicious. I love how it gets just a little charred on the outside…yum!

    1. Brandy, that little bit of caramelization & char on the corn gives it so much flavor. I am not usually a big fan of corn…but some kind of magic happens when it hits the grill.

    1. Sandy, I do not add fruit to my salads too often. Certainly a nice change of pace though, especially in the summer. Dried fruit is yummy too. Thanks for stopping by 🙂

  12. Hi Marla, What a mouth-watering salad! Looks so fresh and delicious– I love your strawberry vinaigrette 🙂

    Have a wonderful day,

    Aldy.

  13. Wow, the salad is gorgeous…I looove that vinaigrette…that must be so good!

    I’m all about the feta! But I do love me some goat cheese, and a bit of brie, and everything in between… I just love cheese!

  14. What a beautiful salad this is, Marla! The grilled corn was a brilliant addition…that’s definitely my favorite way to make corn in the summer! And oh wow, does that gooey Camembert look amazing!

    I just entered my Cheeseburger Pie! 🙂

  15. Oh my goodness, what a gorgeous salad and delicious way to lighten things up this summer. This salad has all of my favorite flavors and really looks like something my husband and I would enjoy. Thanks for the super recipe! I’ll be trying this soon. 🙂

    1. Hi Angie, all of your links & comments went through perfectly! I have moderation set on my comments so you will not see them here until me or my admin approve them. Keeps away the spam…..
      Thanks for linking up your great recipes 🙂

  16. Thank you for inviting me to this wonderful linky party and giveaway. I liked up the Braised Stuffed Cabbage recipe. Thanks for hosting and for the chance to win! I can really use some lovely Ile De France cheese!

    amy [at] utry [dot] it

  17. Hey Marla, what a great giveaway and a gorgeous summer salad. I just linked up my mediterranean chicken skewers with grapes and artichokes and tarragon yogurt sauce.