(Greek Chicken Quinoa Salad is a gluten free recipe inspired by this one with couscous!)
Step by Step Instructions:
Greek Chicken Quinoa Salad comes together in no time, so here’s what you’ll need: Red Wine Vinegar, Quinoa, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper, Dried Oregano, Chicken Breasts (you’ll only need 1 for this recipe), Tomato Paste, Fresh Parsley, Cucumber, & a block of Feta.
To keep this chicken as healthy as possible, I opted to poach it. It’s one of my favorite ways to cook chicken, because it’s SO easy. So grab a large pot and fill it about half full of water and bring it to a boil. Then add chicken breasts to the pot, and I don’t usually put more than 3 in at a time. Cover and remove the pot from the heat and let it sit for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked all the way through.
While the chicken poaches, get the quinoa going for this Greek Chicken Quinoa Salad. Start by bringing 2 cups of water, 1 cup of quinoa (that you’ve rinsed), about 1 tablespoon each of tomato paste and dried oregano, plus a pinch of salt.
Stir so the paste gets broken up and the mixture is boiling.
Then cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the water is absorbed.
While the chicken & quinoa cook, now’s the perfect time to prep your remaining ingredients. Start by dicing up about 3/4 cup of cucumber, but it doesn’t have to be exact.
Then I used pitted Kalamata olives, and roughly chopped about 1/2 cup of those.
Finally I set aside about 3/4 cup of sun-dried tomatoes.
After about 25 minutes (because I had 3 thick chicken breasts) I removed the chicken from the pot and let it cool on a plate. Note that I cut through the thick part of one piece, so that I could ensure it was cooked through. If it’s not cooked through, simply pop the chicken back into the hot water, cover, and poach for another 2-3 minutes and check again.
My quinoa was also done, so I transferred it to a large bowl and then added the cucumbers, olives, and tomatoes.
While the chicken cooled a bit, I roughly chopped a handful of fresh parsley (about 1/4 cup or so).
I only used one chicken breast for this recipe, so I cut it up into large chunks first.
Since I wanted it to add a different texture, I shredded it with my hands.
Finally it’s my favorite part where I cut up this glorious block of Feta! To get more pieces, I first sliced it down the center like this.
And then I diced it up as you can see for lots of bites of cheese in this Greek Chicken Quinoa Salad.
Finally add the chicken and parsley to the bowl along with about 2 tablespoons each of EVOO & red wine vinegar. Then add salt and pepper to taste.
Stir and taste to make sure the seasoning is right, and then add the feta at the end and gently combine so the cheese stays in tact. And that’s your Greek Chicken Quinoa Salad that will come together perfectly for your next weeknight meal, so happy healthy eating!!
Greek Chicken Quinoa Salad
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 4 servings
This delicious meal is crazy easy to make, gluten free, and dairy free if you skip the Feta. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients:
- 1 Chicken Breast, poached & shredded
- 1 c. Quinoa
- 2 c. Water
- 1 T. Tomato Paste
- 1 T. Dried Oregano
- Pinch of Salt
- 3/4 c. Diced Cucumbers
- 1/2 c. Kalamata Olives, roughly chopped
- 3/4 c. Sun-Dried Tomatoes, sliced
- 1 block of Feta, diced
- Handful of Fresh Parsley, chopped
- 2 T. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 T. Red Wine Vinegar
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
Instructions
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Chicken: Start by bringing a large pot of water to boil, and then add the raw chicken to the water. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let the chicken poach for 20-25 minutes. Place the cooked chicken (I like to cut through the thickest part to make sure it’s cooked) on a plate and then shred with your hands once it’s cool enough to handle.
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Quinoa: In a saucepan, add 1 cup of quinoa (that you’ve rinsed), 2 cups of water, 1 T. tomato paste, 1 T. dried oregano, and a pinch of salt. Bring it to a boil, stir, and once it’s boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Once all of the water is absorbed, transfer the quinoa to a large bowl.
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Prepping Ingredients: While the chicken & quinoa cook, chop the cucumbers, olives, and parsley. You can also measure out the sun-dried tomatoes too.
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To Finish: Add the cucumbers, olives, tomatoes, shredded chicken, parsley, 2 T. EVOO, 2 T. Red Wine Vinegar and salt and pepper to the quinoa. Combine really well, and taste and add more salt or pepper if needed. Then dice the Feta into bite-sized pieces, and gently stir it into the quinoa. Enjoy right away and you can eat it cold or warmed up!
Notes
Quick Tip: Skip the feta to keep this dairy free, and it'll be delicious either way!
Courses Main Meal
Cuisine Healthy
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1/4 of recipe
Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
Calories 527 | ||
% Daily Value | ||
Total Fat 29 g | 45% | |
Saturated Fat 10 g | 50% | |
Unsaturated Fat 9 g | ||
Cholesterol 63 mg | 21% | |
Sodium 1008 mg | 42% | |
Total Carbohydrates 41 g | 14% | |
Dietary Fiber 5 g | 20% | |
Sugars 5 g | ||
Protein 18 g | 36% | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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