Shredded Chicken and Quinoa Salad
If you’re after some inspiration of what to do with any leftover meat or veg from the weekend to prep for the week ahead, this quinoa salad is an extremely tasty solution! You can store it in a tupperware and take to work each day dressed with your favourite toppings. Whilst this recipe uses certain veg, it is fully flexible as to what you’ve got in the fridge. Simply roast any root veg, fry off any others and add leftover chicken (or poach some from fresh!).
Servings: 6
Ingredients
200g Baby Plum Tomatoes, Left Whole
2 Large Heads Beetroot, Peeled And Chopped Into Cubes
Olive Oil
200g Quinoa, Rinsed And Drained
1 Tsp Garlic Granules Or 2 Cloves Garlic, Crushed
250g Mushrooms, Sliced Into Quarters
2 Leeks, Finely Sliced
3 Chicken Breasts Or Left Over Chicken From Sunday Roast
Large Bunch Asparagus
50g Feta, Crumbled
Toasted Seeds
Tahini Sauce:
3 Tbsp Tahini
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ Lemon Juice
1 Tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
Drizzle Cold Water
Method
1.Preheat the oven to 180C fan and line a roasting tray with baking paper
2 .Spread out the beetroot and whole baby plum tomatoes in the baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, and 1 tsp of za’atar (or dried oregano or thyme).
3. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes.
4. Next get the quinoa on to cook, add it to a pan with 400ml stock or salted water and bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Then remove from the heat, put on a lid and leave untouched to dry steam until ready to serve.
5. Meanwhile heat a little oil in a large frying pan, and add the garlic granules or crushed garlic. Stir for 1 minute then add the leeks and mushrooms. Cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes until the leeks are turning crispy and the mushrooms soft.
6. If cooking chicken from scratch, heat a pan of boiling water and poached the chicken over medium heat for 10-12 minutes until juices run clear. Add the asparagus to the pan for the final 3 minutes until just cooked but with a bite.
7. Mix all the dressing ingredients together apart from the water, then slowly drizzle in the water until a thick smooth sauce is formed. Be patient as this can take longer than you think!
8. In a large mixing bowl, add the quinoa, beets, tomatoes, leeks, mushrooms and asparagus, stir well.
9. Serve on a large serving plate or individual plates topped with the chicken, feta, toasted seeds, pomegranate and tahini dressing.
10. If making a batch for the week, store in a container at the end of step 7 then add your desired toppings each morning to ensure freshness.
