I love salad, but I rarely love to eat salad for my main course.  It’s always been a delicious side dish for me (and I rarely make a major meal without preparing one full of healthy veggies).  However, once in a while there is a salad that can steal my heart away at dinner or lunch (usually lunch!).   I’m pretty sure I loved this salad because it was hearty AND fresh.   How often can you put those two adjectives together?  It has quinoa (oh, how I love the texture of quinoa), chicken, avocado, and fresh veggies which is all covered in a light and lemony dressing.  If I’m being honest here (which I always am!), I wouldn’t choose to eat this most nights because of my before mentioned salad quandary.  But, I would definitely eat this for lunch more often.  That being said, it really was a fabulous meal change for us and I highly recommend throwing it in your file of recipes to try.  Besides, don’t you think it looks pretty?

Chicken & Avocado Quinoa Salad
Adapted from Picky Palate

1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cups broccoli florets
2 pounds cooked, cubed chicken breast
1/2 cup diced yellow or red sweet peppers or bell peppers
1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 avocado, diced

Cook quinoa according to package directions. Transfer to a large bowl, stirring every 5 minutes to break up. Let cool for 15 minutes.

Place broccoli, chicken, peppers, and Parmesan cheese into a large bowl. Add quinoa and stir to combine.

To prepare dressing, place olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper into a medium bowl, whisking to combine. Pour over quinoa, stirring then gently stir in cubed avocado.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves 8.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)
Calories:  358
Protein:  30g
Carbs: 27.1g
Fat:  14.5g (1.6g = Sat.)
Fiber:  4.6g
Sugars:  2.6g