Sonoma Salad
This post is brought to you by Pompeian. All opinions are 100% mine.
Grilled teriyaki chicken over mixed greens with strawberries, apples and cantaloupe, tossed with fresh herb vinaigrette. Garnished with pistachios, raisins and gorgonzola cheese.
Spring salads are one of my favorite things about the changing season. You get to fill your plates with fresh ingredients, healthier options and also the chance to get creative with your salads. Did you know it is National Salad Month? I know we have so many food holidays but this one is especially fun. It is also National Vinegar Month. How perfect as it’s impossible to enjoy a great salad without a delicious salad dressing. I decided to celebrate both these events by recreating a favorite salad of mine using Pompeian Balsamic Vinegar.
This Sonoma salad was inspired by my favorite salad at a local restaurant in our little college town. I love it so much I’ve been there at least 4 times this month to order it. Being the lovely food blogger that I am (read broke graduate student), I had to recreate it at home so I could have it at any time, for a fraction of the cost. After one last visit for research purposes solely, I think I was able to recreate it in all it’s glory. The salad starts with grilled teriyaki chicken over mixed spring greens. It is then topped with chopped strawberries, apples and cantaloupes.
For the dressing, I made a fresh herb vinaigrette to toss the salad with. I love using Pompeian balsamic vinegar in my salad dressings because it adds a great dark and deep flavor. This herb vinaigrette is light and perfect for a spring salad as you don’t want to weigh down all the greens in a heavy creamy. You will definitely be #DressingItUp with this dressing! Finally garnish the salad with pistachios, raisins and gorgonzola cheese (or blue cheese).
Isn’t that just a bowl of freshness you would love to dig into? This salad is bound to be your new favorite salad.

Sonoma Salad
Grilled teriyaki chicken over mixed greens with strawberries, apples and cantaloupe, tossed with fresh herb vinaigrette. Garnished with pistachios, raisins and gorgonzola cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken breast, cut in strips
- 1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 6 ounces Spring Mix lettuce
- 1 cup strawberries, hulled & sliced
- 1 apple, diced
- 1 cup cantaloupe, diced
- A handful of pistachios
- 1 tablespoon raisins
- 2 tablespoons gorgonzola cheese (or blue cheese)
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Pompeian balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme/ oregano or ½ teaspoon dried thyme and/or oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Wash and dry chicken breast. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Marinate in teriyaki sauce for at least an hour in refrigerator. Grill chicken until done, about 10 minutes. Let chicken cool.
- In the mean time, make dressing. In a screw top jar (or small bowl), combine all the dressing ingredients. Cover and shake well (or whisk until combined). Serve immediately.
- Add fresh Spring mix lettuce to two bowls. Top with strawberries, apple, cantaloupe, pistachios, raisins and cheese. Toss to mix everything together. Serve with vinaigrette.
How will you celebrate National Salad Month? Be sure to check out these 15 Fresh Spring Salad recipes. For additional recipe ideas, you can visit the Pompeian website. Or visit them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram.
Dang I had a salad picked out to make for dinner tonight and now I want to make this instead! They both did involve strawberries, pistachios, spring mix, and balsamic. And I was going to use goat cheese or feta. SHouldn’t be a hard switch.
It will be so easy to switch 🙂
This is one amazing salad, Zainab! Seriously, it’s only 7AM here but I am craving this dish big time now. Thanks!
Thank you Matt!! Craving salad first thing in the morning is always a great idea 🙂
i use their red wine vinegar and its always delightful. i love so much freshness and color in this salad.
Thanks Dixya 🙂
OMG! I’m obsessed with all these flavors in this salad, Zainab! I love a good salad!! I particularly love the use of melon, gorgonzola and pistachios!! Homemade dressing looks good too, going to have to search for this aged balsamic! – i’m kinda a salad dressing snob and only eat homemade 😛 Pinned for later, thanks dear!
Kelly thank you!! I am in love with this salad too 🙂
That sounds like it would be amazing!!
Thanks Leslie! it was 🙂
OMG, I have the same little yellow/orange bowl that you have! I got mine at Homegoods. 🙂
Oh and I LOVE this beautiful salad, Zainab. Pinned!
Hahhah Julie me too!! I love homegoods and get 90% of my props there. I got this bowl for guacamole but never got around to using it before Cinco de Mayo lol!
I always like finding new salads at restaurants and trying to recreate them at home! I have most of these ingredients – I’ll give this a whirl for lunch today! All those bright and fresh ingredients look amazing!
It’s the best place for ideas. Nowadays I browse through menus like it is my job lol! Hope you enjoy it!!
This is my kind of salad! I would have that big bowl of strawberries gone in no time, and I love my salad loaded with fruit! Plus, I love using Pomeian!
Thank you dear!
Yum, yum, yum, yum! I LOVE salads that ARE the meal. This looks so fresh and fantastic. You included some of my favorites in this salad.
Yes me too!! Thanks Jamie 🙂
I love vinaigrette and this one does NOT disappoint! This salad is filled with everything good!
Thanks Tanya!
This is my dream summer lunch! Seriously. That way I feel 100% guilt free when I eat a dish of ice cream after 🙂
oh man, your salad looks really good, and I love the dressing! I love a good viniagrette!
This looks amazing, Zainab. I love strawberries mixed with a little balsamic – yum. My Hubs will love that vinaigrette!! Pinned!
Wow, this salad looks gorgeous Zainab! This is totally my kind of salad – I love everything in here especially all the fruit and pistachios – haha is it weird that I”m craving salad for breakfast now? Love the dressing too – pinned:)
Everything in this salad looks amazing!
I’m in such a salad mood lately and love the fresh ingredients in this one Zainab! Pinning!
This is my kind of salad…fresh and fruity! That balsamic-herb dressing sounds like the perfect way to balance out the sweetness. Looks so delicious!
This is HANDS DOWN summer in a bowl! SO SO refreshing!!!!!!!!!! I loveeeeeeeee every single element that has gone into it! and that dressing!!!!! It just brings all these elements together!!! This cannot get any better! <3
Gorgeous salad! I’m such a fan of meal-sized salads 🙂 We always add nuts to ours but have never added pistachios, brilliant idea!
Thanks Denise!
Wow, this looks and sounds delicious! And your photos are gorgeous! I’m new to your site, found you on SITS, but pinning to make this week for dinner!
Thanks Kristen! I hope you will find some recipes to try 🙂
Ooooooo…. this salad looks so good, Zainab! And I love all the fruit in it! 🙂
Thanks Carrie!
This looks like the perfect salad (subbing feta for the blue cheese for me 🙂 ) Seriously – the fruit, the nuts, the chicken – it all looks insanely delicious! What a fun partnership – I love pompeian vinegars!!
This salad looks so fresh and delicious! I love the pistachios, I’ve never added those to a salad before and I’m not sure why 🙂 Pinned!
Pistachios are great in salads!! Always a nice salty crunch. Thanks for sharing Sherri!
Wow now this is a salad bursting with amazing ingredients! I could dive right into it!
I love the mixture of textures and salty sweet flavors you have going on here! Such a pretty salad, too! And isn’t balsamic the best? It’s my go-to when I want to whisk up a quick and easy salad dressing. The combo of red wine and balsamic sounds incredible in this!
Thanks Jamie!! Texture is always key in my salads 😉
This salad is gorgeous Zainab!! And I swear your photos are looking better all the time!! Those strawberries just want to pop off the page and into my mouth!!
Balsamic and strawberries are such a good combination!
Oh my goodness this salad looks amazing! It’s going to the top of my “must make” list for summer!
Zainab!
I love this salad . . and the dressing! I also did a dressing recipe for Pompeian for National Salad Month! I just saw this on Pinterest. . and oh my gawd, garnished with pistachios, raisins and gorgonzola cheese?! LOVE! it’s like all of my favorite things in one bowl!
Looks like a great Summer salad!