Quinoa is actually a seed from the Chenopodium quinoa plant and has taken over the weight loss industry by storm. It is a protein and fibre rich grain substitute and so, is used in a multitude of recipes. Here is one such salad recipe with all nutrients – protein from grilled chicken, proteins and carbs from quinoa, fibre from vegetables, iron and folate from spinach and good fat from the extra virgin olive oil!! Healthy food does not always have to be boring, eh?
Details
4 Servings
25 Minutes
5 Minutes
320 / Portion
Print
Ingredients
Cherry Tomatoes or Regular Tomatoes 60 gms
Onions 60 gms
Green Bell Pepper 30 gms
Red Bell Pepper 30 gms
Yellow Bell Pepper 30 gms
Baby Spinach 30gms
Cooked Quinoa 120 gms (You can pre cook Quinoa and store it in refrigerator. It takes 20 minutes to cook the Quinoa.)
Chicken Breast 120 gms
Black Olives 20 gms
Parsley 10 gms
Rosemary 5 gms
- For the dressing
Dried Oregano 5 gms
White Wine Vinegar 15 ml
Extra Virgin Olive oil 20 ml
Salt to taste
Black Pepper crushed to taste
Directions
- Marinate the chicken breast with salt, pepper, rosemary and oil and keep in the refrigerator for half an hour.
- Chop onions, tomatoes and the colored bell peppers into small fine dices. Chop the parsley finely and cut the olives into halves. Wash baby spinach and drain it on a paper towel to remove excess water.
- Heat a pan, add little oil and grill the chicken on medium heat till it is cooked. Keep aside and let it cool. Cut into bite size pieces.
- Whisk white wine vinegar, olive oil and dried oregano together for the dressing. Whisk vigorously or use a blender to mix it.
- Combine boiled Quinoa, grilled chicken chunks, chopped vegetables and black olives in a bowl. Drizzle the dressing over it and mix gently.
- To serve, gently put the salad in the serving bowl and top it with some black olives. Sprinkle the chopped parsley on top.
Chef’s Twist :-
Substitute grilled chicken with grilled tofu or black beans for a vegetarian version. Precook the black beans and add it along with all the other ingredients in Step 4. You can also use canned beans. Skip steps 1 and 3 for the black bean version.