Chicken Quinoa Salad

Colorful and flavorful, this chicken quinoa salad has a fantastic texture and flavor combination. Honey dijon dressing pairs beautifully with every ingredient in this simple salad, adding complexity and tang to every bite.

Whether you have a leftover chicken breast from a rotisserie chicken, or you’ve grilled one too many chicken breasts, I have a fantastic way for you to use it up!

WHAT TO USE IN CHICKEN QUINOA SALAD?

This chicken quinoa salad is a great way to use leftovers, or clean out the fridge. You can throw just about any vegetable you have on hand.

Fresh tomatoes add burst of freshness. Creamy avocados, crunchy lettuce, and fluffy chewy quinoa add so many layers of texture. Sometimes, I add crunchy radishes and/or cucumbers.

If you feel extra ambitious, make this homemade honey dijon dressing. But in a pinch, store-bought one works just as great!

HOW TO COOK PERFECT QUINOA:

It’s so simple to cook quinoa. The secret to perfectly flavorful quinoa is in the cooking liquid. If you cook plain quinoa with nothing but water, you’ll get super bland quinoa. However, flavorful chicken stock and a pinch of salt will transform those tiny beads into flavorful, fluffy chewy grains.

Enjoy!

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Chicken Quinoa Salad

Colorful and flavorful, this chicken quinoa salad has a fantastic texture and flavor combination. Honey dijon dressing pairs beautifully with every ingredient in this simple salad, adding complexity and tang to every bite.

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time:5 minutes

Cook Time:15 minutes

Total Time:20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chicken broth
• ½ cup quinoa
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 cooked chicken breast (grilled or leftovers from rotisserie chicken)
• 2 large tomatoes
• 1 avocado
• ½ cup Honey Dijon dressing*

Directions:

1. To cook quinoa, in a small saucepan, bring chicken broth to boil over medium high heat. Add quinoa and salt. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the broth is soaked up. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and let it cool.
2. Meanwhile, slice chicken breast into bite-size pieces.
3. Cut tomatoes and avocado into small cubes.
4. To serve, in a large bowl, mix together quinoa, chicken, tomatoes and avocado. Toss everything with honey dijon dressing and serve.

Note 1: You can use this homemade honey dijon dressing, or store-bought one.

All images and text ©Shinee D. for Sweet & Savory by Shinee

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This recipe was originally published on May 21, 2014.