What is quinoa salad made of?

This quinoa salad is made with cooke quinoa, chickpeas, chopped sundried tomatoes, olives, fresh spinach, and a simple vinegrette made out of the olive brine and the oil the tomatoes come it! It's simple and so filling when topped with that lovely tomato herb chicken breast .

What's the best way to cook chicken breast?

The chicken breast from AdapTable Meals are nicely sized and already seasoned which makes them really easy to cook on the stove top in a skillet or on the grill. You can use whichever you prefer or is easier for you.

How can I save time in the kitchen?

For this recipe you can precook the quinoa a day or two ahead of time. You'll also be saving time by purchasing AdapTable Meals chicken which is already seasoned. You don't need to do much else to get this meal on the table.

Skillet Herb Chicken with Easy Quinoa Salad

Description

Fast, Easy, Delicious! 30- Minute Herb Chicken and Quinoa Salad is an easy dinner recipe your whole family will love.

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 package AdapTable Meals Tomato Herb Chicken Breast Filets, 16 ounces
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, chopped (reserve oil they come with)
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
¾ cup kalamata olives, cut in half
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoon olive brine (the juice in the jar of olives)
2 tablespoons oil reserved from the sun-dried tomatoes
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste (about ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper)
2 cups fresh spinach, lightly chopped

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Instructions

In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, add the quinoa, reduce the heat to medium, cover with a lid, and allow the quinoa to simmer until cooked through and all of the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
While the quinoa is cooking, heat a skillet (cast iron is preferred) over medium to medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to the pan.
Add the chicken to the pan and cover with a lid.
Cook the chicken filets in the covered skillet for 4-6 minutes, flip, cook an additional 5-10 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165°F on a meat thermometer.
While the quinoa and chicken are cooking, add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas, and olives to a large bowl. Toss to combine.
When the quinoa is done cooking, remove it from the heat and add it to the bowl with the olives.
Dress the quinoa with the juice of one lemon, olive brine, reserved oil, dried thyme, and salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
When the chicken is done cooking, let it rest on a cutting board for 3 minutes.
While the chicken is resting, add the spinach to the quinoa and toss to combine. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste again.
Slice the chicken into strips.
Serve by placing some of the quinoa salad on a plate and top with one sliced chicken filet.

Notes

This chicken is excellent on the grill too. Cook filets on the grill for 4-6 minutes, flip, cook an additional 5-10 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165°F on a meat thermometer. Easy!
I love the olives in this salad and always add more to my serving; feel free to do the same.
If you want to adjust the salt or oil in the salad, just add more brine or oil from the sun-dried tomatoes to taste. I love using the oil from the tomatoes in the dish to try everything together.
This salad is super flexible, so feel free to add what you like or don’t add something if you don’t like it. It would be great with chopped sweet bell peppers and feta if you have it.

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Category: main dish
Method: stove top
Cuisine: American

Keywords: chicken quinoa salad, quinoa salad, quinoa salad with chicken, healthy chicken recipe, chicken and quinoa recipe