Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Grilled Chicken (vegan)

I'm not really big on "faux" meat products for something to eat on a regular basis.  I like to stick with tempeh and beans - sometimes veggie burgers - but I do like to try new products when I see them.  Beyond Meat Chicken-Free Strips caught my attention when Brian and I were at the Detroit Whole Foods a few weeks ago.  They come in grilled, lightly seasoned, and southwest style.  We got grilled because it sounded like a more versatile flavor than the other two.  The strips are easy to prepare - simply microwave or saute and add to your favorite recipe!

We had them last night for dinner in a salad.  We took spinach, fresh red pepper strips, avocado, strawberries, sunflower seeds, and topped it all with the prepared chicken strips.  Over that we drizzled some homemade balsamic vinaigrette (I cut the canola oil down to 1 tbsp and added a pinch of Xanthan gum to thicken it slightly).  OMG it was the most delicious salad I've had in a long time!  Brian loved it, too.  It was the perfect application for the chicken.  And the dressing was really good, too. I'd never made it before but it turned out well. 

We had a few strips left and I popped them in the microwave, which is the other way to prepare them.  I do not recommend this technique!  They were rubbery and cooled off much too quickly.  Take my advice and spend the extra few minutes to saute them in a pan!

I'm pretty sure I found my new favorite summer salad!

What's your favorite summer salad?