Mediterranean Chicken Quinoa Salad

This Mediterranean Chicken Quinoa Salad is amazing!! It is really easy to take to work for lunch, or on a picnic, as you don't need to heat it up, and it is a nutritional meal to fuel the rest of your day.

Mediterranean Chicken Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 - 1 1/2 Lbs. Chicken breast, cooked and cubed
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups water/chicken broth
• 1-2 cups chopped kale (depends on your liking, or you may sub with spinach, but it may become mushy)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 cup cucumber, diced
• 1 cup bell peppers, chopped (I like multiple colors, so I used red and orange)
• 1/4-1/2 cup red onion, diced (depends on your taste)
• 1/2-1 cup chopped Kalamata olives
• 1/2-1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Juice from 1 large lemon
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
• Salt and Pepper

 1.    Add water or chicken broth, and quinoa to a medium saucepan (you could also add a smashed clove of garlic to give the quinoa a little more flavor). Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

2.    While the quinoa is cooking, make the dressing and cut the rest of the ingredients, adding them to a medium-large bowl.

3.    Once the quinoa is done, allow it to cool down (I'm impatient, so I throw the pan into the freezer and periodically stir it to cool it faster).

4.    After the quinoa is cooled, add it to the rest of the ingredients, then toss it with the dressing.

5.    Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. When serving, you can add any garnishes if you'd like. I love adding pieces of avocado. Yum!