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Greek chicken and quinoa salad
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Greek chicken and quinoa salad

A healthy and delicious combination of chicken, quinoa and Greek flavours.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Marinading chicken1 hour
Total Time2 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Greek
Servings: 4 people
Author: Mia Kouppa

Equipment

  • Outdoor grill or barbecue (optional)

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken breasts boneless and skinless

For the chicken marinade

  • 1/2 cup plain yogourt
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp dry oregano
  • 1 tsp granulated garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

For the salad

  • 12 cups chopped romaine lettuce
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 4 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 4 tbsp chopped red onion
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
  • 2 cups chopped cucumber
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta

For the dressing

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp dry oregano
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

  • In a large bowl whisk together all of the ingredients for the chicken marinade until well combined. Add in the chicken breast, turn to coat, and keep in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
  • When you are ready to cook your chicken, remove it from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for no more than 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a small pot, combine your quinoa with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low and cook, covered, for approximately 20 minutes until the quinoa has absorbed all the water and is cooked through.
  • Preheat your outdoor grill or barbecue or your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Drain the excess marinade off of your chicken and place it on a lightly greased outdoor grill or oven grill or roasting pan.
  • Cook until cooked completely through and no pink is remaining. This will take approximately 7 - 10 minutes per side depending upon the thickness of your chicken breasts. The internal temperature of your chicken should register at 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Once cooked, set aside to rest while you assemble the rest of your salad.
  • Prepare your dressing by combining all ingredients in a mason jar and shaking vigorously. Alternatively, whisk the ingredients together in a bowl.
  • Toss the lettuce, quinoa, parsley, red onion, tomatoes, olives, cucumber and feta with the dressing, keeping 2 - 3 tablespoons of the dressing to the side.
  • To serve, slice each chicken breast into strips, or cut into cubes. Divide the salad among four serving plates and top each serving of salad with a chicken breast. Drizzle the chicken breast with a little of the salad dressing and enjoy!

Notes

There is a lot of inactive time with this recipe; while your chicken in marinading you can make your salad dressing, prepare your veggies and cook your quinoa.  This will make the final preparation and assembly much more efficient. 
We like to use the entire quantity of salad dressing for the four servings.  If you prefer to use less dressing, that is also fine.