Strawberry Lavender Chicken Pasta Salad

I made this recipe for Chicken Salad for a baby shower recently. It was a HUGE hit. Since Lavender season is upon us here in the Lavender Capital I decided to make it into a pasta salad recipe! It was perfect because my kids were in a production of Alice in Wonderland and I needed a good make ahead dish that would be ready to eat as soon as we got home. I LOVE pasta salads for this reason. It would be awesome for a Summer Potluck as well.

It would be fantastic with sliced almonds sprinkled on top too, but I was out...





2-3 chicken breasts, cooked as desired and shredded
1 lb pasta, cooked
1 TB lavender buds(fresh or dried , just make sure they are culinary grade or home grown!)
2 cups Fresh Strawberries , sliced
4 green onions, sliced
2 cups fresh spinach, torn into bite sized pieces


Dressing:
10 large fresh strawberries, hulled
1 TB Sugar
1/2 cup Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 cup light olive oil
1/3 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste



In a bowl place chicken ,pasta, lavender, sliced strawberries, onions and spinach. Set Aside

Dressing:
In a blender pulse the 10 strawberries with the sugar until coarse.....add the vinegar.

Turn the blender on to a medium-low speed and in a steady stream pour the olive oil. Allow it to fully blend, then do the same with the cream, blend on a higher speed for 15-20 seconds or so until slightly thickened.....add salt and pepper to taste.





Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and toss gently.



Sprinkle with a few more fresh lavender buds if desired.



Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours before serving.