Make the most of raspberries this season with this chopped chicken and raspberry salad! Fresh or frozen raspberries blend up into a simple, creamy raspberry dressing that doubles as a chicken marinade. It’s tangy, fruity, bright and delicious! Check out the recipe notes for tips on how to keep this recipe low FODMAP friendly/adaptable and dairy free!
Simple ingredients make for big flavors in this fruity salad!
Sweet raspberries blend up into a thick and creamy salad dressing that doubles as a chicken marinade. Mixed into a big bowl of salad greens, toasted nuts, diced avocado and salty feta cheese – delicious!
Chopped Chicken & Raspberry Salad
This raspberry salad comes together in three main stages:
- the dressing/marinade
- chicken preparation
- combining the salad ingredients
Homemade Raspberry Dressing & Marinade
The raspberry dressing recipe is easy enough! Simply add all the dressing ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
- Raspberries – Fresh berries are ideal but frozen raspberries work in a pinch.
- Keep in mind that frozen berries will blend up into an even thicker, creamy dressing (very smoothie-like). You may need to thin out the sauce with a bit more oil or water.
- Olive Oil – I like to use extra-virgin olive oil since most the dressing will be mixed into the salad. Vegetable oil works too though.
- Red Wine Vinegar – You can sub with white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar.
- Dijon Mustard – Dijon mustard is creamier and less acidic than yellow mustard.
- Maple Syrup – Feel free to use honey (not low fodmap) instead of maple. A touch of sweetener helps mellow out the other acidic flavors.
- Gluten Free Soy Sauce or Tamari – A strange ingredient at first glance, but it really helps add a savory, umami element to the dressing for a more well-rounded flavor.
Marinate & Cook Chicken
The chicken preparation is quite simple, though it will take up the most time. After mixing the dressing, set aside about 1/3 cup for the chicken.
- Flatten the chicken – it helps to cook quickly and evenly.
- Coat with salt, pepper and dried basil.
- Coat with raspberry dressing and marinate 30 minutes.
- Pan fry about 5 minutes on each side until cooked through.
- Rest the chicken and chop into bites sized pieces.
Mix it All Together
Finally, mix toss and enjoy!
Add all of the remaining ingredients to a large bowl along with the chopped chicken. Toss until well combined, then pour over the creamy raspberry dressing.
FODMAP Notes
For all things low FODMAP, my go-to source of information is Monash University. They are the originators and leaders of the low FODMAP diet and continue to update the protocol and food safety list regularly.
Some of the ingredients listed in this raspberry salad may be considered high FODMAP when consumed in high amounts. I’ve made sure to keep the amounts of these ingredients to a minimum. So long as you’re not eating this entire salad in one sitting you should be well within the limits.
To clarify – I always recommend you consider your personal tolerance and follow any advice given to you by your doctor or dietician.
You can also swap out or omit any ingredients that you might be uncertain about!
Low FODMAP Favorites
Avocado
- According to Monash University avocados are low FODMAP in careful moderation (1 serving = 1 oz).
Since this recipe only uses 1 avocado for the entire salad it falls within the low FODMAP parameters.
That being said when it comes to FODMAPs it’s best you follow your gut (no pun intended) because we all react different to different foods. If avocado is a trigger food for you – just leave it out or serve it on the side.
Hazelnuts
- Hazelnuts are also safe in moderation (1 serving = 0.5 oz).
There is only 1/2 cup (67g | 2.4 oz) in the entire salad. Divided between six servings – that’s about 0.4 oz in each serving which falls within safe parameters.
Feel free to swap out the hazelnuts for pecans or walnuts if you’d prefer a more FODMAP friendly option.
Substitutions & Additions
There are a few different ways you can play around with the salad ingredients to make it more suitable to you and your preferences. Here are a few ideas in case you need a little inspiration:
- Hazelnuts >> Other Nuts/Seeds
- Pecans and Walnuts are typically a safe bet for FODMAP dieters.
- Almonds also pair well with chicken and raspberry. Just bear in mind they are somewhat high fodmap – a safe serving is 10 almond and under.
- For a nut free option use pumpkin seeds and/or sunflower seeds. Try my roasted pepitas (aka pumpkin seeds) for an even more flavor-packed, crunchy salad!
- Feta >> Goat Cheese
- Goats cheese makes for an excellent feta swap.
- Dairy Free Feta (or Leave it Out)
- Make this raspberry salad totally dairy free with a suitable dairy free feta. My favorite vegan feta is one from The First Mess: Summer Picnic Salad with Blueberries and Feta.
- You can always leave out the cheese if that’s easiest!
- Salad Greens >> Other Fresh Greens
- I made my salad with a generic bag salad mix. Feel free to use whatever leafy green you’d like here. Baby spinach, chopped romaine, butter lettuce, beat greens, etc.
- Soft leaves are idea but you can always make this with kale. With kale, I recommend you massage the kale leaves before eating to soften them up like I do in all my other kale salad recipes.
- More Berries
- Make the most of berry season by adding blueberries and strawberries in addition to the fresh raspberries!
- Add Onions to the Salad or Garlic to the Dressing
- If you don’t need this salad to be low FODMAP, thinly sliced red onions or even green onions would make a great addition to the salad.
- Add a clove or two of garlic to the raspberry salad dressing for a punchier flavor.
And that’s it – a simple, fresh salad that’s every bit as delicious as it is vibrant!
Chopped Chicken & Raspberry Salad
Fresh or frozen raspberries blend up into a simple, creamy raspberry dressing that doubles as a chicken marinade. It's tangy, fruity, bright and delicious!
Ingredients
Dressing/ Marinade
- 1 1/2 cup fresh raspberries (190g)
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (120ml)
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar (60ml)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (40g)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (30ml)
- salt + black pepper to taste
Chicken
- 1 pound (450g) boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (15ml)
Salad
- 6 cups salad greens (200g)
- 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped (67g)
- 2 cups fresh raspberries (250g)
- 1 avocado, pitted and sliced (see notes about FODMAPs)
- 2 oz feta, crumbled or cubed (60 g) - optional*
Instructions
Dressing:
- Add all of the dressing ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend on high about 30 seconds.
Chicken:
- Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic cling wrap or foil.
- Use a heat mallet or a rolling pin to pound the chicken breasts down until they're even in thickness (about 1/4 inch thick).
- Transfer the pounded chicken to a a shallow bowl and sprinkle with dried basil, black pepper and salt. Pour 1/3 cup of the prepared raspberry dressing over the chicken and mix until fully coated. Cover and set aside in the fridge for about 30 minutes (up to 2 hours).
- When the chicken is ready, warm 1 tablespoon oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook about 4-5 minutes then flip and cook another 4-5 minutes until cooked through.
- Remove from the heat and let rest about 5 minutes, then cut into bite sized pieces.
Salad
- Add the remaining salad ingredients to a large bowl: greens, hazelnuts, raspberries, avocado and feta. Add the chopped chicken and toss to combine.
- Pour about 1/4 of the raspberry dressing over the top and toss again to coat the salad.
- Serve with the remaining dressing on the side and enjoy.
Notes
FODMAP Notes
- Avocado: According to Monash University avocados are low FODMAP in careful moderation (1 serving = 1 oz). Since this recipe only uses 1 avocado for the entire salad it falls within the low FODMAP parameters. That being said when it comes to FODMAPs it's best you follow your gut (no pun intended) because we all react different to different foods. If avocado is a trigger food for you - just leave it out or serve it on the side.
- Hazelnuts: Hazelnuts are also safe in moderation (1 serving = 0.5 oz). There is only 1/2 cup (67g | 2.4 oz) in the entire salad. Divided between six servings - that's about 0.4 oz in each serving which falls within safe parameters. Feel free to swap out the hazelnuts for pecans or walnuts if you'd prefer a more FODMAP friendly option.
Leave a Review!