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Chicken Caprese Quinoa Salad | Gluten Free with L.B.
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Chicken Caprese Quinoa Salad

 By combining the bold flavors of a traditional caprese salad with hunger satisfying quinoa, you can create a filling meal.  
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients

Quinoa

  • 1 ½ c. dry quinoa
  • 3 ¼ c. water
  • 1 T. butter
  • 1 t. salt
  • ½ t. pepper

Pesto

  • ½ c. olive oil
  • 2 c. basil leaves
  • 1/3 c. almonds
  • 1/3 c. parmesan cheese grated

Salad

  • 2 pints cherry tomatoes cut in half
  • 3 c. cooked shredded chicken
  • 8 oz. mozzarella fresh, cut into ¼ inch cubes
  • 1 t. salt

Instructions

  • Combine the quinoa ingredients in a slow cooker and turn on. If you do not have a slow cooker, you can cook your quinoa the traditional way on the stovetop.
  • While quinoa is cooking, combine pesto ingredients in a food processor and blend for about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides every 30 seconds.
  • Once the pesto is prepared, prep your remaining salad ingredients (cutting tomatoes, shredding chicken, cubing the mozzarella.) If you happen to be able to find fresh Mozzarella definitely give that a try!
  • When quinoa is done cooking, let cool for about 10 minutes in a separate bowl (you don’t want the mozzarella to get all melted when combining.) Add pesto to the quinoa and toss until quinoa is completely coated. Lastly, add in tomatoes, chicken, mozzarella and salt. Toss to combine.
  • This salad tastes great served cold. I like to refrigerate it for at least an hour before serving, but if you’re really hungry, it's OK to eat it warm. Hope you enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 467kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 342mg | Potassium: 633mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2725IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 289mg | Iron: 4.1mg