Low Carb Quinoa Salad with Herbed Chicken

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prep time

35 min
cook time

12 min
ready time

47 min

Low Carb Quinoa Salad with Herbed Chicken

This meal is one of my favorites in my household and is on a weekly rotation. I love how the salad and chicken can be prepped ahead of time to save time on weeknights, but still, eat healthily. I like to cook the quinoa off early to allow it time to cool in the fridge. That way, I can assemble the salad at any time. The chicken is best marinated for at least an hour or overnight. The recipe starts with 3.5 pounds of raw chicken breasts which cooks down to the amount shown in the recipe’s ingredient list, which is done for nutritional purposes.

Net Carbs

9.3 g
Fiber

2.9 g
Total Carbs

12.2 g
Protein

37.5 g
Fats

17.2 g

359 cals

Quantity

Serving Size

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Chicken Breast

2-½ pound
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

¼ cup
Coarse Kosher Salt by Morton

2 tsp
Rosemary, Fresh

⅓ cup
Thyme, Fresh

⅓ cup, chopped
Dill Weed, Fresh

⅓ cup, whole pieces
Organic Sprouted Tricolor Quinoa by Trader Joe's

⅔ cup dry
Water

1-⅓ cup
Garlic

1 clove
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

¼ cup
White Wine Vinegar by Alessi

¼ cup
Apple Cider Vinegar

1 teaspoon
Coarse Kosher Salt by Morton

2 tsp
Black Pepper

¼ teaspoon
Yellow Bell Peppers, Raw

1 large - 3" diameter x 3 3/4"
Lettuce

6 cup
English Cucumber by Generic

14 ounce
Asparagus

15 small - spear - 5" long or less
Avocado Oil

½ teaspoon

Step 1

Marinate the chicken breasts by splitting the chicken breasts in half horizontally to create two flat pieces, essentially halving the chicken breast as they are usually fairly thick. Add in ¼ cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons of salt, all the herbs (chopped) with the chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag. Close the bag and massage the bag very well to incorporate everything and speed up the marination process. Refrigerate until ready to grill.
Step 2

In the meantime, cook the quinoa. Place the quinoa in a small saucepan and toast on medium-high heat until it smells nutty, about 3 minutes.
Step 3

Add in 1 ⅓ cup of water and bring the water to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer. Cover with a lid and allow to simmer for 10-12 minutes until all the water has evaporated. Turn off the heat and allow them to sit for 5 minutes covered.
Step 4

Spread the cooked quinoa onto a sheet tray and place in the fridge to cool completely.
Step 5

Prepare the salad dressing by grating a clove of garlic into a ¼ cup of olive oil, a ¼ cup of white wine vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper. When the quinoa is cooled, julienne the bell pepper and then cut the juliennes in half add them to the quinoa. Cut the lettuce into smaller bite-sized pieces and add them in. Slice the cucumber into 4 pieces by cutting it in half once and then again the long way. Then cut those the other directions to create bite-sized pieces.
Step 6

Cut the asparagus into 1” pieces. Heat a small saute pan over medium-high heat and then add the avocado oil. Toss the asparagus in the pan for up to 1 minute. Then turn off the heat and allow them to sit in the pan until some of the rawness cooks off. Add this into the quinoa mixture as well.
Step 7

When the chicken is done marinating, preheat a grill until it reaches at least 350 F.
Step 8

Add the chicken to the grill and cook on the first side until very nice grill marks develop. This will take several minutes depending on your grill. Flip the breasts and cook on the other side for a few minutes. Flip them again and finish cooking them on this side. Cook until the chicken is cooked through and has reached 165 F internal temperature.
Step 9

Toss the salad together with the dressing and serve with sliced grilled chicken.

Low Carb Quinoa Salad with Herbed Chicken

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