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leftover chicken quinoa salad

Making lifestyle choices such as maintaining a balanced diet can help reduce the risk of heart disease. Embracing leftover rotisserie chicken as an excellent protein option, offers a simple way to craft a delicious meal that everyone will relish—whether in soup, casseroles, sandwiches, or the delightful Chicken Quinoa Salad.

Heart Month is a good time to remember our cardiovascular health and ways we can reduce our risk of heart disease.

Whole grains are an important part of maintaining a healthy diet as they are fibre-rich in bran, starchy endosperm and the germ. Quinoa is a grain we consume regularly since it’s high in protein and a grain I’ve been cooking with for years.

If you don’t have time to cook a chicken, pick up one or two at the store and plan on making a couple different meals throughout the week. Freeze what you don’t use and make stock out of the bones.

leftover chicken quinoa salad
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Chicken Quinoa Salad

I batch-cook quinoa, let it cool, and store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator. This makes it easy to grab a scoopful for a quick salad, use it in veggie burgers, or even stuff vegetables when inspiration hits. One cup of uncooked quinoa yields three cups of cooked.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup leftover cooked rotisserie chicken, shredded
  • 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1/2 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2 scallions, chopped
  • 1/2 apple, chopped (I like honey crisp or Fuji)
  • 1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, mix together chicken through pecans.
  • In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper. Taste it and adjust the seasoning. Pour half the dressing on the salad and toss. Taste again. Add more dressing if required. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Store any leftover dressing in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Serve.

Notes

Cooking quinoa:
Add 1 cup of quinoa and 2 cups of water to a pot and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Immediately lower to a low simmer and cook 10 – 15 minutes or until most of the water is absorbed. Cover pot with a lid and let sit off the heat for an additional 10- 15 minutes. Once ready, fluff it with a fork before using.