(Last Updated On: October 9, 2021)

 

Chicken-quinoa-salad

Mediterranean Chicken & Quinoa Salad

Chef Trudy
This easy to prepare dish is just delicious for a mid-week meal or a take to work lunch. The tasty chicken complements the quinoa beautifully
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Marinating Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Middle East
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

Mediterranean Chicken

  • 2 chicken breasts, skinless
  • 1 tbps olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
  • 1 red chili (finely chopped, seeds removed)
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper (freshly ground)

Salad

  • 1 onion (thinly sliced)
  • 1/2 cup tomatoes (finely diced)
  • 1/4 cup black olives (pitted)
  • 1 cup cucumber (chopped)
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese (crumbled)
  • 6-7 mint leaves (chopped)

Dressing

  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 pinch salt

Quinoa

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 cups water

Instructions
 

Cooking the Quinoa

  • Pour the quinoa into a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under running water for at least 30 seconds. Drain well. This step removes any bitterness from the outside of the quinoa 
  • Combine the rinsed quinoa and water in to a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat a bit to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water, about 10 to 20 minutes.
  • Remove the pot from heat, cover, and let the quinoa steam for 5 minutes. 

Preparing the Mediterranean Chicken

  • Put olive oil, garlic, red chili, a big pinch of salt, and freshly ground black pepper in a zip lock bag. Add chicken, toss to coat, and allow it to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Preparing the Salad Dressing

  • Take a small container and pour extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and mix it well.

Cooking the Mediterranean Chicken

  • Now transfer this marinated chicken to a cooking pan and let it cook for 5 minutes on each side or until the chicken is fully cooked. Chicken is fully cooked when there is no pink inside.
  • Take a large mixing bowl and combine tomatoes, pomegranate seeds, onion, olives, cucumber, and feta along with chopped mint and pour the dressing over it.
  • Toss it with the spoon.
  • Add cooked quinoa over it and mix them well, topped with sliced chicken.
Keyword Quinoa Salad

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