How to make chicken salad with quinoa and roasted veggies, in less than 30 minutes.
Hey Foodies,
Today we are going to make a healthy chicken salad recipe with roasted veggies and the super grain of the future.
Can you guess what that is?
It’s quinoa, the healthy grain that dates back almost 4000 years ago, to Inca times.
Today, this is one of the most popular health foods in the world.
So before I show you how to make chicken salad at home, I would like to tell you a bit about this ingredient, and why it makes the chicken salad healthy.
Why we should eat more Quinoa
This is a grain that dates back to Incan times and most often it’s called a super grain.
That’s because its fiber and protein content is much higher than almost all other grains.
More than that, it is rich in essential amino acids, minerals, and antioxidants.
Healthline wrote a comprehensive article about its benefits, and here are some of the most important:
1. Naturally Gluten-free
2. Rich in protein, essential amino acids, and fiber.
3. Low glycemic index (helps with blood sugar control)
4. High mineral content, particularly magnesium, potassium, zinc, and iron.
5. And my favorite, it’s very easy to incorporate into any diet, especially for weight loss.
Here is the nutrient content of 1 cup (185 grams) of cooked quinoa:
Source: Healthline.
So we need to eat more quinoa if we want to keep a healthy diet.
Now that you know how to make a chicken salad healthy by adding quinoa, let me tell you a few words about the second ingredient that makes it interesting.
And that is… wait for it… peanut butter.
We all know by now that chicken and quinoa salad is super healthy.
But is it also tasty?
After all, the purpose of any food is to also delight our taste buds, right?
So, to make a healthy and delicious chicken salad recipe, I added a yummy peanut butter dressing that will make your taste buds scream with joy 🙂
It’s very easy to make (in less than 5 minutes) and here are the ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp drippy peanut butter
- 2 Tbsp soya sauce
- 1 Tbsp honey
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1-2 Tbsp water
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Now, I know some of you are not 100% ok with peanut butter, so I made another easy dressing recipe which you can use instead:
- 2 Tbsp Olive oil
- 3 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar
- 1 Minced garlic clove
- Salt & Pepper
However, you might want to check out what Healthline and Organic Facts have to say about peanut butter first.
Spoiler alert: It has plenty of benefits, just don’t gobble it up all at once.
Ok, now you know which super ingredients I used to make this delicious and healthy chicken salad, so it’s time for tips.
1. What goes with chicken salad.
There are quite a few dishes that go well with it. I made it with roasted veggies but you can try it with fresh veggies, with avocado and strawberries, or mango salsa.
And just in case you have some room left for dessert, here are a few delicious ideas:
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Mousse
- Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
- Chocolate Muffins
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries
2. How to prepare the chicken
First of all, you need to bring it to room temperature if it’s not there already. So don’t even think about taking it out of the fridge or freezer and throwing it straight in the oven.
If you do that it will come out dry and literally tasteless.
This is a good rule to keep in mind when cooking any meat, especially when cooking chicken for salad.
Then, you have two ways of preparing it:
- Â In the oven
- Â In a pan
Whichever you choose make sure you season the chicken beforehand, just like I did today (see instructions in the recipe below).
3. Use all natural peanut butter.
Peanut butter is healthy as long as it’s made only with peanuts. If you see ingredients like sweeteners or emulsifiers, stay away.
We all know by now that these are potentially harmful.
You can also make it yourself if you want to have 100% control over the ingredients (you’ll need a food processor for that).
4. You can replace quinoa with your favorite grains.
Just in case you are not a huge quinoa fan, you can always make this easy chicken salad recipe with cooked brown rice, barley or even couscous.
5. Homemade is always healthy.
Don’t go out and buy your salad from a store just because you heard it’s healthy. You have no control over the ingredients so it’s hard to say exactly what’s in it.
Learn how to make chicken salad at home and gain control over what you eat. It’s easy and you don’t need to be Jamie Oliver to do it.
Honestly, even a child can make it.
I believe I’ve covered everything about this quick and easy chicken salad recipe, but just in case you need any help with it, don’t be afraid to ask.
I am just one comment away.
Now it’s time to show you how to make chicken salad with quinoa and roasted veggies.
And if you would like to see more yummy recipe videos, please Subscribe to my YouTube Channel and let’s cook together.
How to make chicken salad at home
Chicken Salad Recipe With Quinoa And Roasted Veggies
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet potato - peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
- 1 large red onion - cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb (400g) Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder - divided
- 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano
- Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
- 2 oz (60g) baby spinach
- 1 avocado - thinly sliced
- 1 cup (170g) quinoa - rinsed in cold water
- 3 Tbsp chopped roasted peanuts - to garnish
- juice from 1 lemon
Ingredients for the peanut butter sauce:
- 2 Tbsp drippy peanut butter
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp honey
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1-2 Tbsp water
- 1 Tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/375°F. Spread the sweet potatoes and red onions on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with paprika, oregano, half the garlic powder, salt and pepper and toss to coat.Â
- Free up some space in the middle of the tray and place the chicken breast. Rub it with salt, pepper, the rest of the garlic powder and a bit of olive oil.
- Bake it in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the inside and until the sweet potato gets tender.
- Add 1 cup quinoa with 1.5 cups salted water to a saucepan and bring it to the boil. Turn the heat down to low, cover and simmer until all liquid is absorbed (about 12-15 minutes). Once cooked, let it cool, then use a fork to fluff and separate the grains
- Meanwhile, make the peanut butter sauce. Whisk together soy sauce, lemon juice, peanut butter, honey and garlic powder until evenly combined and smooth.
- Divide quinoa between bowls. Top with roasted veggies, sliced chicken, baby spinach, and avocado. Squeeze half a lemon over each bowl, sprinkle with chopped peanuts and drizzle the peanut butter dressing on top.
Recipe Notes
- You need to bring the chicken to room temperature before putting it in the oven. Don't try to bake it right out of the fridge (or frozen) as it will come out very dry. You might want to follow this golden rule when you cook meat in general. Especially for large pieces of meat.
- Mix well the veggies, spices, and oil to get them all coated. Even if it gets messy, don't be afraid to use your hands. It's part of the cooking experience and you'll get used to it really quick.
- You can replace Quinoa with other grains like cooked brown rice, barley or couscous. Change and mix things as your taste buds tell you to.
- Save the peanut butter sauce recipe for future use. It is so versatile, and you can use it with many dishes, like roasted veggies, noodles, pasta, fresh veggies or in sandwiches.
- If you want this healthy chicken salad to have fewer calories, then replace the peanut butter sauce with this easy dressing:
- 2 Tbsp Olive oil
- 3 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar
- 1 Minced garlic clove
- Salt & Pepper.
Nutrition
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What about quinoa
It must be boiled?
How many minutes?
Hi,
Yes, it must be boiled for up to 15 minutes. I have updated the recipe and you can see Number 4 in Instructions where I explained how to cook quinoa.
Hope it helps.