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This chicken quinoa salad bowl is piled high with tender roast chicken, fluffy quinoa, creamy avocado, salty feta and plenty of fresh, crunchy salad. A bright lemon vinaigrette pulls everything together, giving you a filling lunch or lighter dinner that certainly doesn’t feel like the sensible option.
“This salad was so awesome. It is full of flavour and so many great things going on. You can easily omit the chicken and it’ll still be so filling! Just amazing and it’s joined the family favourite in my household.”
Nicky’s Notes
I don’t know about you, but lunchtime sandwiches always make me feel so lethargic. A biscuit (or three) usually follows soon after in an effort try to wake me back up again (like that’s actually gonna work!).
So I’m on the hunt for energy boosting lunches!
Food that makes you feel fantastic, but tastes amazing. Being able to make it ahead is a major bonus too – as I’m terrible for grabbing a sandwich or a slice of cake come midday because I can’t be bothered to make something.
If you have a favourite quick and easy lunch idea I’d LOVE to hear!
Table of Contents
Why This Quinoa Salad Bowl Works
This bowl has everything needed to make a salad feel like a complete meal:
- Quinoa adds substance and absorbs the lemony vinaigrette beautifully.
- Cooked chicken provides plenty of savoury flavour without needing any extra cooking if you’re using leftovers.
- Avocado adds richness and creaminess, balancing the sharper lemon dressing.
- Feta brings a salty tang, so every mouthful tastes well seasoned.
- Tomatoes, red onion and leaves keep it fresh, colourful and crunchy.
- The lemon vinaigrette cuts through the richer ingredients, preventing the bowl from feeling heavy.
This is my current favourite salad. Roast chicken, piles of quinoa and salad all served with creamy avocado, salty feta and a citrus-y lemon vinaigrette!
Make it the night before, look forward to it all morning, then probably tuck in about 10:30am…..
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItCan I Make It Vegetarian?
Yes. Simply leave out the chicken.
The quinoa, avocado and feta make the salad surprisingly filling by themselves. You could also add chickpeas, butter beans, falafel or a handful of toasted nuts for extra texture and substance.
One reader left out both the chicken and parsley and still described the finished salad as “perfectly great”, so it’s a very forgiving bowl.
Fresh, creamy and satisfyingly savoury, with tender chicken, fluffy quinoa and crisp vegetables in every bite. The salty feta and punchy lemon vinaigrette give the whole bowl a bright, tangy finish. I hope you enjoy this yummy Chicken and Quinoa Salad Bowl.
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Chicken and Quinoa Salad Bowl Recipe
Ingredients
- 200 g (1 cup) Quinoa (I used three-colour quinoa, but regular is fine)
- 1 vegetable stock cube crumbled (or 1 heaped tsp of bouillon powder for gluten free)
- 70 g (2.5 oz) baby spinach
- 1 ripe avocado peeled and de-stoned and roughly chopped
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- ½ clove garlic peeled and minced
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 70 g (2.5 oz) salad leaves
- 2 cooked chicken breasts I like to use the meat from a whole roasted chicken, cut into slices
- ¼ red onion peeled and sliced
- 10 cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- 100 g (1 cup minus 1 tbsp) feta crumbled
- small bunch fresh parsley chopped
Lemon vinaigrette:
- juice of 2 lemons
- 100 ml (1/2 cup minus 2 tsp) extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the quinoa in a pan with the stock cube and water. Cook as per pack instructions (usually this is 600ml of water for 200g quinoa, then boil and simmer for 20 mins). Place the baby spinach in the pan on top of the quinoa and place a lid on for the last minute to wilt the spinach. Remove the lid and leave to cool.200 g (1 cup) Quinoa , 1 vegetable stock cube, 70 g (2.5 oz) baby spinach
- Make the vinaigrette by whisking all of the vinaigrette ingredients together.100 ml (1/2 cup minus 2 tsp) extra-virgin olive oil, ¼ tsp dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste, juice of 2 lemons
- Place the chopped avocado in a bowl with the lemon juice, garlic salt and pepper. Mash together roughly with a fork (I like to leave a mine quite lumpy and rustic looking).1 ripe avocado, 1/2 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 clove garlic, pinch of salt and pepper
- Place the cooked quinoa in a large serving bowl. Top with the salad leaves, sliced chicken, wilted spinach, mashed avocado, red onion slices, cherry tomatoes and crumbled feta. Sprinkle with parsley before serving with the vinaigrette.70 g (2.5 oz) salad leaves, 2 cooked chicken breasts, 1/4 red onion, 10 cherry tomatoes, 100 g (1 cup minus 1 tbsp) feta, small bunch fresh parsley
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was first posted in July 2016. Updated since with recipe improvements and for housekeeping reasons.
🥗 More superb salad recipes
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Luckily I didn’t use 100ml of oil and two lemons as recipe suggested. I only used juice of one medium size lemon, 3 tbs olive oil and that was just enough. I also used 1 whole red onion and Rosa Verde salad leaves from M&S instead of spinach. And I used sea salt flakes. And I skipped on chicken and parsley. Salad came out perfectly great.
I haven’t even started yet but i know im gonna enjoy it thoroughly… Thanks for sharing
This salad was so awesome. It is full of flavour and so many great things going on. You can easily omit the chicken and it’ll still be so filling! Just amazing and it’s joined the family favourite in my household.
This was absolutely delicious, the portion was way too big for me at lunch time, but made a fab dinner.
Hi. The salad looks so yummy! Am I able to make this days in advance for a make ahead lunch prep? I would not add the vinaigrette until ready to eat. Thanks!
This looks amazingly delicious and flavorful! I can have this anytime 🙂
Thanks so much Sri 🙂
Yum! This looks like a wonderful energy-boosting lunch. Because of the hot weather I’ve been on a big salad kick recently. I can’t wait to give this a try!
Thanks Paula, hope you enjoy it 🙂
I would love this for lunch! So many delicious flavours I’d certainly be full up all afternoon too!
You’re right there Corina 🙂 Thanks!