How to Make Quinoa Chicken Salad

This week we're making a quinoa chicken salad that's not only looks and tastes amazing, but is also healthy and easy to make! Whether you're packing it for work, eating it post-gym or just snacking on it at home, you're in for a treat!

Ingredients:

• 50g / 1.8 oz Quinoa

• 1/2 Avocado

• 2 pcs / 150g / 5.3 oz Peach

• 200–250g / 7–8.8 oz Chicken thigh (boneless)

• 20g / 0.7 oz Celery

• 30g / 1.1 oz Red onion

• 1 tbsp Hoisin sauce (optional)

• Salt, white pepper, garlic powder and a bit of lemon juice

For the Dressing:

• 1 tbsp Honey

• 1 tsp Mustard

• 1 clove Garlic

• 1/2 tsp Oregano

• 1/2 Lemon juice

• 1/2 tsp salt and pepper

• 2 tsp Tabasco (I used jalapeño Tabasco)

• 100ml / 3.4 fl oz Olive oil

For the vegetarian version: Just exchange the meat for chickpeas or seitan!

Clean, peel and cut the peach into large cubes. Clean and remove the fibrous threads from the celery, then slice it into thin pieces. For this recipe I use only half an avocado, but if you like you can add the whole thing. Slice it into cubes and spoon it out, then drizzle some lemon juice on top to preserve the color. Cut the red onion into thin half moons.

Rinse the quinoa with water and bring it to a boil over medium-low heat for about 10–15 minutes until plump. Leave it to cool down.

Remove the skin from the chicken thigh. Place the skin into a dry pan over medium-low heat. When the skin starts to become transparent, turn it over and fry the other side, then repeat until it is golden and crispy. Place it on a rack or paper towel and season lightly with a pinch of salt and white pepper.

Cut the chicken thigh into cubes. Season with 1/2 tsp of salt, white pepper and garlic powder. Fry over medium heat for 5–7 minutes until golden and juicy. Mix 1 tbsp of Hoisin sauce with a little water, pour it over the chicken and cook for another minute until the water evaporates and the sauce sticks to the meat.

To make the dressing, simply put the wet ingredients first, then the dry ingredients into a measuring cup or a jar and mix them with a blender. This dressing is so tasty and aromatic that you can use it for many other salads too! You can keep it in the fridge for up to a week.

To combine the salad, mix the quinoa and the toppings together, add the dressing and top with the crispy chicken crackling.

This chicken salad is nutritious with a good amount of protein to keep you healthy and in shape. I hope you'll enjoy it! :)