Lemony Chicken Salad with Quinoa, Arugula, Avocado and Creamy Basil Dressing- an easy low-carb salad, high in protein and full of amazing flavor! Sub chickpeas for the Chicken! Vegan adaptable!
I’ve been all about salads lately and this one is no exception. I think I could eat this every day! The lemony basil dressing can be made “creamy” or kept light and lean, and either way this Chicken Arugula Quinoa Salad is a winner.
Oh, and did I mention this is vegan adaptable? I really love it with crispy chickpeas (roasted in the oven) or crispy tofu.
But since I happened to have some leftover Simple Baked Chicken from the last post, I’ve been using it in bowls and salads during the week, which my husband has been totally loving. Such an easy way to meal prep!
This would also be great with The Best Grilled Chicken.
Chicken Quinoa Salad | 60-sec Video
This salad is very packable, perfect for lunches on the go.
I prefer keeping the components separate as you see above, then dressing and tossing before eating. That way the arugula stays nice and fresh.
Lately, we’ve taken to eating salads for dinner.
Somehow eating a little lighter at night feels better- I know I sleep better!
The Lemony Basil Dressing is made with olive oil and lemon base. You can keep it light and lean, or stir in some sour cream ( or yogurt or mayo) to give it a delicious creamy richness. I love this both ways.
Just wanted to share an easy way to meal prep and incorporate both the Simple Baked Chicken and the Everyday Quinoa during the busy workweek for mid-week meals.
Having a couple of staples on hand makes it easy to whip something up quickly and easily.
Hope you enjoy this Lemony Chicken Arugula Quinoa Salad!
Let me know what you think below- and how you adapt, and especially if you are vegan!
More Salads you may like:
- Chipotle Grilled Chicken Salad with Corn, Peppers and Arugula
- Little Gem Salad with Dilly Ranch Dressing
- Classic Caesar Dressing with The Best Grilled Chicken
- Grilled Salmon Salad with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing
- Spinach Salad with Grilled Veggies & Herb Chicken
Chicken Quinoa Salad
- Prep Time: 20
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: salad, chicken, meal prep
- Method: Tossed
- Cuisine: American
Description
Lemony Chicken Quinoa Salad with Arugula, avocado and Creamy Basil Dressing- an easy high protein salad that is full of amazing flavor! Sub Chickpeas for the Chicken, VEGAN ADAPTABLE!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces baked Chicken breast ( or one can chickpeas, drained)
- 2 extra large handfuls baby arugula
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1–2 scallions, sliced
- optional additions: scallions, oranges, sunflower sprouts, hemp seeds, any nut or seed
Creamy Basil Dressing:
- 1/2 cup basil (packed down tight, about 1 ounce)
- 2 fat garlic cloves
- zest from one medium lemon
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, more to taste
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper
- 1/8– 1/4 cup mayo or sour cream (optional) or sub plain yogurt, vegan mayo, vegan sour cream or cashew cream.
Instructions
- Make the Basil Dressing: Place basil, garlic and lemon zest and a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Pour in olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and pulse to combine (don’t make it too smooth). Place in a bowl or jar and whisk in some sour cream if you want it creamy ( adjusting salt as needed). This will keep 4 days in the fridge.
- Assemble salad. (You can keep all components separate if packing to take to work)
- Toss arugula with quinoa and scallions and some dressing to lightly coat. Divide among two bowls. Add chicken and avocado and any nuts or seeds that you like. Spoon a little more dressing over the chicken and season the avocado with salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 515
- Sugar: 3.9 g
- Sodium: 1069.2 mg
- Fat: 32.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 42.3 g
- Fiber: 10 g
- Protein: 18.6 g
- Cholesterol: 25.2 mg
I made a detailed comment without a star rating. It’s a 5 for me!!
Thanks Denise!
I am a retired food scientist who works at a winery on week-ends in Napa. Hence, I’m always talking about food and wine and promoting Feasting at Home! Hi Sylvia!! I modified the dressing due to ingredients not on hand. I added half a ripe avocado and used greek yogurt instead of mayo. I did not have basil so I used parsley and a hint of cilantro. I made enough for 2 people 2 dinners. The second night I added anchovy to the dressing because it’s my “secret” ingredient. Also used farro instead of quinoa. Yum! Now I have a new salad for dinners. Note: the viscosity was a bit thick. I added a tiny bit of H20.
Love how you adapted! All sounds delicious. 🙂
Made this tonight and OH MY! Delicious. Added some tomatoes for color and contrast. Will definitely make again.
So happy you enjoyed this Cheryl!
This recipe is so good and a fast , healthy way to use up leftover chicken. Definitely will be making this on repeat!
Glad you enjoyed this Lindsay!
This has become our “go to” salad. Delicious.
So glad you are enjoying!!
I make a lot of salads and have to admit that this one surprised me. It’s exactly the right balance of flavor and textures, just lovely. I didn’t have leftovers to start so I had to let my quinoa cool before adding it to the arugula with dressing, but I loved it just a bit warm. I also used a stick blender to make the dressing, adding a small dollop (less than a Tbs, more than a tsp) of mayonaise to help it emulsify and it was a bit difficult to get the garlic to blend in, next time I would crush it first or use a food processor as instructed. My processor is just very large for such a small amount of dressing. Incidentally, I was worried I didn’t have enough dressing but served this for three people for dinner and still had enough leftover for a fourth serving at lunch.
Great to hear Joan!