If you envision chicken salad as a big bowl of mayonnaise-coated chicken—and little else—it’s time to rethink the possibilities. In this updated combination, the chicken takes a backseat to quinoa, a protein-rich, gluten-free grain. I toss the two with grapes and celery for crunch and cumin-lime vinaigrette for the perfect summer picnic fare.
Quinoa cooks quickly–start to finish in under 15 minutes–and you can even make it a day or two ahead. I often grab a rotisserie chicken from the market (make sure it’s gluten free) and dice up the meat for the salad. You can also season some chicken thighs with salt and roast them at 425° for about 25 minutes as a simple way to get “cooked chicken”.
As with most grain salads of this kind, you can let your imagination take the lead. Blueberries or diced peaches make great alternatives to the grapes in terms of adding sweetness. Try toasted slivered almonds or chopped radishes instead of the celery for crunch. Add a handful of chopped parsley or basil from your garden stash. Just keep it easy, it’s summer! ~LbR
Love this! I recently read that the soapy or grassy taste from quinoa comes from the saponins and that rinsing it thoroughly or toasting it (which you should do anyway to remove dirt) will help reduce the taste. Have you heard this Laura?
Some quinoa comes already rinsed, but I really do feel like rinsing/toasting it reduces that taste a little bit. I do it out of habit at this point
This has been a huge hit every time I serve it. I like that I can prepare everything ahead of time and then mix it together at the end.