What You’ll Need To Make This Salad Happen
The ingredient list is going to make all of us SOS-ers feel very good:
- rotisserie chicken
- grape tomatoes
- artichokes (canned or jarred! easy)
- spinach
- pre-cooked quinoa
- store-bought dressing
Now that I’ve got your salad wheels spinning, I would like to also tell you the other important thing which is that – surprise! – you can actually pick and choose whatever you like because, in addition to freshness and crunch and tang, versatility might be the very greatest thing about salads.
Swap In Whatever You’d Like Here
Substitutions that might make you happy:
- use chickpeas instead of chicken
- use a different grain, or cook your own
- use a different dressing – something lemony, herby, more or less sweet, whatever you like
- add capers for extra briney-ness
- add roasted vegetables of any sort – sweet potato, bell peppers, zucchini
- add cheese
- add nuts or seeds
The world is your salad!
Whether you go my direction with the quinoa / chicken / artichokes / Greek dressing, or go your own way with a spin-off of this combination, you will be eating well.
She is beautiful, colorful, flavorful, nutritious, family-friendly, and everything good that your SOS spring + summer heart could ever want.
Chicken Quinoa Salad: FAQs
Can this salad be made vegetarian? It can! For a vegetarian version, just use white beans or chickpeas!
Can I meal prep this salad or make it ahead of time? Yes! This can be made ahead and will last in the fridge for 1-3 days. The part that doesn’t last very well is the spinach, so I would suggest waiting to add the spinach to until just before serving, or make a big batch for the fridge and then just add spinach to individual servings.
I have a little bit of extra time to make my own dressing. Any recommendations? The dressing from this pasta salad recipe or this LA Chop would be so, so good!
Should I eat this warm or cold? Honestly, it’s great either way!