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Lemon Chicken and Quinoa Salad

May 6, 2010 |

by on May 6, 2010

With summer approaching, I am always looking for new salad dishes to try. And of course, I am always looking for new quinoa recipes! The inspiration for this dish was found in Clean Eating magazine. (Which is one of my favorite cooking magazines, by the way.)

The orginal used Bulgur and mint, neither of which I care for. Still, I knew it had the makings of a good Quinoa Salad, so I modified it to suit my tastes! I am a big fan of spicy dishes, and this quinoa salad does pack a little punch. You can adjust the cilantro, ground chipolte and red pepper to suit your own tastes. Try it out – it may become one of your favorite ways of cooking quinoa!

 


Lemon Chicken and Quinoa Salad

  1. 12 ounces boneless chicken breasts
  2. 2 T olive oil
  3. 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  4. 1 tsp cumin
  5. 2 T lemon juice
  6. 1/2 cup chopped red onion
  7. 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  8. 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
  9. zest of 1 lemon
  10. pinch of ground chipotle chili pepper (you can substitute Cayenne pepper if you don’t have chipotle)
  11. 1/4 cup toasted almond slivers
  12. 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
  13. salt and pepper


  1. Pound the chicken under plastic wrap until thin. Place in a large plastic bag.
  2. Combine oil, red pepper flakes, cumin and lemon juice. Pour over chicken and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
  3. Spray pot with cooking spray. Add onion and saute until tender. Add lemon zest, pinch of ground chipolte chilie, chicken broth and quinoa. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook until all liquid is absorbed, around 30 minutes. Let sit covered for an additional 5 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, Cook chicken on grill over medium high heat. Remove from heat and let rest. Cut into cubes.
  5. Combine quinoa, chicken, almonds and cilantro.
  6. Serve warm or chilled.


Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Cooking time: 35 minute(s)

Diet (other): Low calorie

Number of servings (yield): 6

Meal type: dinner

Culinary tradition: USA (General)

Calories per serving: 289

Fat per serving: 12.8 g

Saturated Fat  2.2g Trans Fat  0.0g Cholesterol 50mg Sodium 243mg Total Carbohydrates 21.7g Dietary Fiber  3.5g Sugars  0.9g Protein 22.7g

One thing I really like about this quinoa salad is that is is really healthy. I am always trying to eat healthy – especially during swimsuit season! Do you have quinoa recipes you would like to share? Drop us a line!

Tagged as: Cayenne pepper, chicken and quinoa, Cook, Cooking Quinoa, Coriander, Home, Lemon, Olive oil, Onion, Quinoa Recipes, Quinoa Salad, Salt

{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }

anonymous November 9, 2010 at 6:06 PM

great recipe, however you may want to leave the lemon juice out of your marinade as it will begin to cook the outside of the chicken because of the high level of acidity.

Reply

Nicole August 17, 2010 at 4:17 AM

What a wonderful resource – and glad to see it coming from another Arizonan! : )

Many thanks -

Nicole

Reply

Wendy Polisi August 17, 2010 at 1:26 PM

Thanks Nicole! I haven't been in Arizona long, but I love it out here! The summer is hot, but thanks to the low humidity no where near like South Florida!

Reply

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