Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing (Gluten Free Option)

When I was younger, my favorite restaurant was Bennigan’s. Why? Um… BECAUSE OF THEIR CRISPY CHICKEN SALAD. To say I was obsesed is an understatement. But when I really boiled it down, I liked that the salad had crispy chicken tenders in it, and I liked the honey Mustard. Cue this homemade salad with honey mustard dressing.

This salad recipe is easy to make into a gluten free salad! It is a quick lunch recipe packed with romaine, crispy air fried chicken tenders and a delicious homemade honey mustard dressing! This Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing is an easy and convenient lunch to toss together, just like my Chicken BBQ Salad! It is packed with your favorite fresh summer produce and is drizzled with a flavorful honey mustard dressing, just like my crispy chicken salad with corn!

This Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing makes a great lunch or easy and light dinner! I love an easy weeknight dinner recipe with chicken, just like my one pan mozzarella tomato skillet and my gluten free chicken and eggplant parmesan!

why you’ll love this allergy friendly Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

• Store-bought salad dressings are convenient, but sometimes you don’t have them on hand. To save time you can use a storebought dressing…or you can use this recipe to make it yourself! If you are making a gluten free salad, make sure to buy gluten free honey mustard dressing.
• This homemade salad dressing can be used on salads, sandwiches or even as a dip for veggies or chicken fingers! I love spreading it on a wrap with crispy chicken.
• I’m not interested in boring salads. I love a salad with almost more toppings than greens!
• This Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing recipe is an easy allergy friendly recipe perfect for someone who is gluten free or dairy free. For the gluten free salad recipe I used gluten free chicken tenders. For the dairy free salad recipe just use dairy free feta cheese!
• This honey mustard salad is light, flavorful and refreshing! 

ingredients & substitutions

Romaine lettuce: Any crisp leafy lettuce is a great base for this salad. I like romaine but if you don’t have romaine, you can use spinach, kale, or arugula for this Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing.

Cucumber: Cucumbers add a refreshing crunch and hydration to the salad. If you don’t have cucumbers, you can add bell peppers or celery for a similar texture. Anything with a crunch is great. We keep a lot of cucumbers on hand for our puppy to snack on so we always use those because we have them!

Cherry tomatoes: These small, sweet tomatoes add a burst of flavor to the salad. If I don’t have cherry tomatoes, I use grape tomatoes or diced regular tomatoes! Any tomatoes will do for this honey mustard salad!

Feta cheese: If I don’t have feta, I use goat cheese, shredded cheddar or crumbled blue cheese. For a dairy free recipe I use dairy free feta.

Chicken tenders: If I don’t have chicken tenders, I use grilled chicken. If I want crispy chicken I make my own chicken cutlets or use store bought chicken tenders. Make sure this salad is a gluten free salad, use gluten free chicken tenders or gluten free breadcrumbs when making your own gluten free chicken cutlets. Just dip in egg, then breadcrumbs, then air fry until crispy and cooked! My honey mustard salad, the one pictured here, is a gluten free salad.

directions for the Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

Step 1

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, honey, and lemon juice until smooth.

Step 2

In a large bowl, combine the chopped romaine, sliced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, diced avocado, and crumbled feta cheese.

Step 3

Add the chicken tenders to the air fryer. Air fry until fully cooked.

Step 4

Add the chopped chicken tenders to the honey mustard salad.

Step 5

Pour the honey mustard dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Serve the Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing immediately.

expert tips & tricks

Use an instant-read thermometer! I can’t tell you how important this is. I’m a person who has gotten food poisoning before so be careful with raw chicken! Whether you are making the chicken tenders or chicken cutlets yourself or just warming up store bought ones for your honey mustard salad, make sure they are fulled cooked to a target temperature of 165°F.

serving, storing and meal prepping the Honey Mustard Salad

For the best flavor and texture, I serve the Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing immediately after tossing it with the honey mustard dressing! I love to garnish the salad with a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts or sunflower seeds or even gluten free croutons.

If I have leftovers or am meal prepping this Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing, I store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Make sure to store any leftover dressing in a separate container in the refrigerator for up to a week. I hate storing the salad with the dressing already on it. Make sure to store the dressing on the side! To prevent the honey mustard salad or this gluten free salad from becoming soggy, avoid adding the dressing until just before serving.

Looking for more allergy friendly easy recipe?

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