This black quinoa and chicken salad is full of healthy green vegetables, herbs and a fresh lemon dressing that makes it just what you need for a quick and easy meal. As a bonus it keeps well in the fridge and so is ideal for a leftovers lunch the next day too
I created this black quinoa and chicken salad as part of a challenge to create easy healthy recipes with 7 or fewer ingredients. It's the type of meal you can make when you really don't want to try out anything complicated or do too much thinking.
Yes, this simple black quinoa and chicken salad is just perfect for an easy meal and is also a great meal to make with leftover roast chicken.
I keep it all simple including the dressing. It's just lemon juice, olive oil, fresh herbs and black pepper. I love lemon juice on a salad and because of the fresh herbs there's enough flavour to make the salad zesty and light.
So, if you haven't tried black quinoa before or you're looking for recipe ideas for how to use it then give this a go.
What ingredients do you need for this black quinoa chicken salad?
To make this salad you'll need:
- Black quinoa - Red or white quinoa are fine too
- Chicken breasts - You can fry, grill or stir fry the chicken first or use leftover roast chicken
- Green peppers - I've used green peppers as I wanted the salad to have lots of greens in but you can use red or yellow peppers instead.
- Green beans
- Lemon Juice - Fresh lemon juice is definitely better than a bottle of juice
- Fresh herbs - You definitely need fresh herbs for this salad too. I like to use coriander (cilantro) or parsley.
- Olive oil - Use a good quality olive oil as the salad is quite simple.
- Seasoning - I love to add lots of black pepper. You can add a little salt too.
How to make black quinoa and chicken salad
Do also check out the recipe card further down the page. First cook the quinoa according to the pack instructions. It normally takes about 10 minutes if you boil it. It's also best to rinse it first to get rid of any dust that's in the packet.
If you're not using leftover chicken then cook the chicken too. I like to butterfly it then season it with salt and pepper and fry it in a little oil.
Also, boil the green beans for about three minutes till cooked through but still with a bit of bite to them. When they are cooked, put in cold water so they keep their colour and stop cooking.
When everything is ready, just mix all the ingredients together and top with the chicken.
Adaptations and substitutions
Feel free to use this recipe as inspiration and adapt it to suit your tastes. I love the green beans and green peppers in this recipe but you could add different greens such as tenderstem broccoli and use red or yellow peppers instead of green ones.
Additional vegetables such as peas and sweetcorn also work well in this salad.
You could make this salad vegetarian by replacing the chicken with burrata or grilled halloumi. Or how about a vegan version using crispy fried tofu?
As I said earlier, you can also cook the chicken in different ways.
Can you spice up this salad?
Yes of course, why not add a few pickled jalapenos? Or some finely diced fresh chilli pepper. Or how about a drizzle of hot sauce? You could also sprinkle on a little za'atar to give it a bit more flavour.
What is black quinoa like?
I tried black quinoa for the first time when I made kabocha squash stuffed with black quinoa. It has a delicious crunchy texture, even more so than white quinoa. I was keen to use it again in this salad as I think it goes really well with the green vegetables and chicken.
Storage
You can keep any leftovers in the fridge for up to three days. Just store it in an airtight container. That means it's also a great salad to prep in advance for lunches during the week or to take out on picnics.
Recipe
Chicken and Black Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 200 g black quinoa red or white quinoa are fine too
- 3 chicken breasts or use leftover roast chicken
- 2 green peppers diced
- 80 g green beans ends cut off and then cut in half
- 30 g herbs Coriander or parsley
- 1 lemon Juiced
- 2 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch salt and pepper Add to your tastes
Instructions
- Rinse and then cook the quinoa according to the pack instructions. I cooked mine for 10 minutes. Then drain.
- Cook the chicken. You can grill, fry or stir fry it. I like to butterfly it and cook it on each side in a frying pan till cooked through and golden brown. Slice it into strips after it is ready.
- Cook the green beans for about 3 minutes only. I put them in a pan of boiling water and when they are ready, transfer to a bowl of cold water so they stop cooking.
- Mix all the ingredients except the chicken into the quinoa. Check the seasoning and add a little extra salt or black pepper if you feel it needs it.
- Serve the chicken on top of the quinoa.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More delicious chicken salad recipes
Why not try my Vietnamese chicken and rice salad too? Or one of these recipes:
Keep in touch
Do let me know if you make this recipe or any of my other recipes. I love to get feedback from readers.
You can also stay up to date by following on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Hayley (@SnapHappyBakes)
Ooo it's nice to see something healthy after this weekend 🙂 Thanks for linking up to #CookBlogShare
Corina
You're welcome!
hijackedbytwins
Oooh Corina, this looks so good! I love quinoa and am always keeping a look out for new recipes. Popping over from both #CookOnceEatTwice and #CookBlogShare x
Corina
So glad you like it and thank you for featuring it in your round up x
Dragons And Fairy Dust
Love this salad, the lemon dressing sounds the perfect complement
Corina
Thank you! I love lemon dressings as they're simple but make everything so tasty.
Dana @ IveGotCake
The black quinoa looks so sexy here,wooooo!!
Corina
Just wait, everyone will be eating black quinoa soon!
Dana @ IveGotCake
Daaaamn right!
Honest Mum (@HonestMummy)
Wow that looks so delicious. We love black quinoa here too. Thanks for linking up to #Tastytuesdays
Corina
So glad you like it!
Cindy Kerschner
Sounds perfect for a great lunch!
Corina
Indeed! It makes great leftovers!
Kristy @ Southern In Law
I love black quinoa and this look delish!
Corina
Thank you Kristy!
thecrowdedtableblog
I still need to try black quinoa, it sounds delish! I love how simple your recipe is 🙂
Corina
Thank you so much! I'm always trying to make things easy if I can!
Strength and Sunshine
A fabulously balanced meal!
Corina
Thank you! And easy too!
Liz @ The Clean Eating Couple
I've never seen black quinoa! Looks tasty 🙂
Corina
I hadn't seen it either until recently. I think Jamie Oliver uses it in his latest book so it will probably start becoming much easier to buy soon!
Martin @ The Why Chef
I'm trying to get into a serious health kick, so I've saved this recipe as it sounds exactly what I need! Do you know where I can find black quinoa in the UK? I can see it online, but it comes with a hefty delivery tag!
Corina
I found the black quinoa in Waitrose (about £4 for 400g I think) but I'm not sure if the other supermarkets do it as well. It is a bit more expensive than most grains but I thought it was worth it to try it out. It is similar to white quinoa just a little more crunchy and of course because it's black it looks good and makes the other ingredients stand out.
Culinary Flavors
I am on a salad mood lately and this one sounds like the perfect lunch!
Corina
Thank you! It's really fresh and tasty and was great for me for lunch the next day.