Ranch Chicken Quinoa Salad
A fresh, protein-packed quinoa salad tossed with ranch dressing and colorful vegetables for an easy meal or lunch.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 cup cooked chicken rotisserie or other cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
- 1/4 small red onion chopped
- 3/4 cup little tomatoes cherry, grape, or similar, halved
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- 1 mini cucumber or 1/4 English cucumber, sliced
- 1 avocado sliced
- 1/2 red bell pepper chopped
- ranch dressing to taste
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped, optional
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa under cold water, then cook it according to package directions until tender; set aside to cool slightly.
- While the quinoa cooks, chop the red onion, halve the tomatoes, slice the cucumber, chop the red bell pepper, slice the avocado, and chop the parsley if using.
- Shred or chop the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, cooked chicken, spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, and parsley.
- Toss the salad with ranch dressing to taste, then season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Gently fold in the sliced avocado just before serving to prevent browning.
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Cutting Board
- Chef’s knife
- Mixing Bowl
- Spoon or Spatula
- Measuring Cups
Notes
- Prep time includes multitasking while quinoa cooks.
- Make ranch dressing or use store-bought based on preference.
- For quicker prep, cook and cool quinoa ahead of time.
- Add avocado and dressing just before serving if making ahead.
- Nutritional info is an estimate and may vary.