What you’ll love about Chicken Quinoa Salad!
- It’s high is protein!
- It can be made ahead and keeps up to 4 days in the fridge!
- It’s very packable and easy to transport, making it perfect for a bring-to-work lunch.
- It’s very versatile in that it can be modified to your personal preferences.- easily made vegan by substituting chickpeas for the chicken or just leaving it out.
- Great way to use up leftover chicken!
What you’ll need
Once the Quinoa is cooked and cooled, then it’s easy to whip up. Just place everything in a bowl and toss.
Then just toss and taste!
On the homefront: Last year I planted an herb patch. It has become one of the best investments ever. Our backyard gets a little sun and the only thing that seems to thrive are herbs, so most of our garden boxes have been slowly replaced with herbs, which we use prolifically at home and in our catering business.
One part of my garden has a patch of mint. This is no ordinary mint. When I was a little girl, my parents bought a home in Southern California, and my mom planted a big mint patch on the side of the house for when she would make tabouli. Well, eventually, after years and years, the mint spread and overtook the entire side of the house. When the windows were open, we could smell the fragrant mint wafting through the air.
Thirty-five years later, when we had to sell my parent’s house, as a keepsake, I dug up a little bit of my mom’s mint and brought it back home and planted in my own garden. Today, I have the same mint growing here, that my mom planted all those years ago. I wish she could feel how happy it feels to cook with something that originated from her. Perhaps she can.
More Quinoa Salads you may like
Quinoa Chicken Sald
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 8
- Category: Entree Salad
- Method: Tossed
- Cuisine: mediterranean
Description
Quinoa Chicken Salad with tomatoes, chickpeas, arugula, fresh herbs & optional mozzarella or feta cheese, in a tangy Lemon Dressing. Great for meal prep!
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa- rinsed
- 8 ounces of cooked chicken breast (baked chicken, crispy tofu, or extra garbanzo beans)
- 16 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes- halved
- 14 ounce can chickpeas ( optional)
- 1 cup Italian parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup mint, chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
- zest from one lemon
- handful of Arugula or Spinach (optional)
- 8 oz small mozzarella balls (halved)- optional or sub-feta or goat cheese!
Lemony Dressing:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, more to taste
- 1 tsp salt
- Cracked pepper to taste
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
Instructions
- Rinse Quinoa and place in medium pot with 1 3/4 Cup water and 1/2 tsp salt on high heat. Bring to a boil, cover and turn heat to low, and cook covered 15-20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed. Fluff with fork and cool in fridge, overnight or for 1 hour.
- To make dressing, mix all ingredients in a small bowl.
- When quinoa has chilled, place in large bowl, fluff with fork. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, chicken or tofu, herbs, zest, onion and mozzarella balls (optional).
- Toss with dressing. If you like, place it on top of a bed of greens like arugula or mixed lettuces.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 2.3 g
- Sodium: 678.7 mg
- Fat: 12.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 26.2 g
- Fiber: 5.7 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 25.8 mg
It’s another winner, I’m making a big batch every week to go with lunches. I’m trying a gluten free diet and your website is saving me from horrible gf substitutes, thank you!!
Oh good, so glad you are inspired!
This salad is SO good, I’m absolutely obsessed. I swapped the red onion for shallots (cooked in olive oil and used in the base for the dressing). I’ve made it twice this week, it’s really a whole other level. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Happy to hear this Ellie!
Excellent salad, thank you Sylvia for all your recipes.
Thanks Betty!
Love your recipes but have to have nutritional breakdown of all ingredients in the recipes for husband health
Please unsubscribe me
Thank you
Hi Carole, the nutritional info is listed below the recipe card. Do you see it? If you would still like to unsubscribe, please do so at the bottom of the next email you receive. 😉
Made this for lunch this week- delicious and nutritious!
I’ll be watching for the recipe. I can’t wait to try it for my friend. Thanks for all you do.
I came across this recipe on Pinterest and sent it to my mom to try out. Thank you for posting this delicious-looking recipe!
I made this last week, but with brown gluten free couscous. It was good. Then this week I combined it with this kale salad http://jellytoastblog.com/2013/08/kale-salad-with-roasted-salmon.html/#comment-2718 . It was really good too. Thanks for the recipe
Now this is what i call a salad…..
Aww, so sweet, that mint must be so special. Love the gorgeous salad.
The mint IS special. Such a simple thing, but brings me so much happiness.
I love the story about your mom’s mint! I am sure somehow she feels your happniess!The salad is beautiful!
thanks Monika!