Balsamic Chicken Salad with Lemon Quinoa

Balsamic Chicken Salad with Lemon Quinoa is a crisp and juicy pan fried chicken in balsamic, garlic and olive oil, mixed into an incredible loaded salad with Kalamata olives, Feta, Lemon flavoured Quinoa and sweet grape tomatoes.

Is it just me, or is this thing for real..

After a week of internet f-ups, telephone cut-outs and car issues…I needed something fast.

This was it. Oh boy, was this it.

This was one of those: quick-raid-the-fridge-and-get-as-many-things-as-you-can-fit-into-your-arms-before-something-falls-and-smashes-and-breaks-your-toe-then-you-end-up-in-the-emergency-room type situations.

Grabbed what I could as fast as I could to make whatever I could come up with in under 10  minutes – so much pressure when the whole family is looking at you with giant expectations.

I love olives. Have I ever told you that? Especially Kalamata. There’s something so special in the saltiness that takes to to a Greek island somewhere that I’ve only ever been to in my sleep. Somewhere hot. Somewhere secluded with blue clear waters, and crystal blue skies.

And steaming, crispy, fresh outta the pan-fried chicken, drunk in Balsamic and garlic flavours. Dumping quinoa full of Lemon-y perfection on top of this with creamy Feta and those sweet, bursting-with-tomato-juices grape tomatoes….

And you know what? The husband said, ‘you don’t even get this type of food in a restaurant. This is full of flavour. It’s really good.’

Hold the phone. Say whaaaat? And the dressing took this to a whole other playing field of Balsamic tang and garlic olive oil craziness exploding on every taste bud because every flavour just.fits.

Try this people. It’s a warm salad. Its a flavourful salad. It’s a happy salad that will bring you a happy time.

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5 from 1 vote

Balsamic Chicken Salad with Lemon Quinoa

By Karina

Servings: 6

Crisp and juicy pan fried chicken in balsamic, garlic and olive oil, mixed into an incredible loaded salad with Kalamata olives, Feta, Lemon flavoured Quinoa and sweet grape tomatoes.

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Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

Lemon Quinoa:

• ▢ 1/2 cup dry quinoa
• ▢ 1 cup vegetable or chicken stock (or water mixed with 1 teaspoon vegetable stock powder)
• ▢ 1 pinch salt to season
• ▢ 1/2 medium lemon juiced

Chicken:

• ▢ 6 boneless chicken thigh or breast fillets trimmed of fat
• ▢ 1 tablespoon garlic olive oil or plain
• ▢ 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• ▢ 1/2 medium lemon juiced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vegetable stock powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder/granules or 1 clove garlic crushed

Salad:

• ▢ 6 cups cos lettuce, washed and shredded
• ▢ 7 oz grape tomatoes halved
• ▢ 1/2 medium red onion thinly sliced
• ▢ 3.5 oz pitted kalamata olives
• ▢ 1.7 oz reduced fat Feta cheese
• ▢ 1/2 cup continental parsley

Dressing:

• ▢ 2 tablespoons garlic olive oil
• ▢ 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Instructions 

For Lemon Quinoa:

• In a small saucepan, combine quinoa, stock and salt together. Bring to the boil; reduce heat to gentle simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes or until broth has absorbed and quinoa is soft. Remove from heat and set aside while still covered and allow to steam. After about 2 minutes, fluff with a fork. Allow to cool slightly and add the lemon juice.

For Chicken:

• Add the chicken fillets in a large skillet or nonstick pan with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, stock powder and garlic powder/granules. Saute the chicken until nice, crispy and golden on both sides, and cooked through. Remove from heat; allow to cool slightly, and slice into 1-inch strips.

For Dressing:

• Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl/jug, and whisk until mixed through.

For Salad:

• Combine the lettuce, tomatoes, onion, olives, Feta and parsley together in a large salad bowl. Top with chicken slices and quinoa, and drizzle with the dressing. Toss to combine. Serve with lemon wedges.

Nutrition

Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 691mg | Potassium: 619mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 4.969IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this? Leave a comment below!