Garden Quinoa Salad with Chicken

My garden quinoa salad with chicken is filling, easy to make, and great to share. If you need a simple side dish or a quick lunch or dinner that can be eaten cold give this cold quinoa salad a try!

This delicious summer quinoa salad is served cold. That means you don’t have to mess around heating up leftovers and you can eat this on the go! If you have busy kids, a hectic work schedule, or if you just don’t like to be bothered with hot recipes in the heat of the summer this recipe is for you!

I love when recipes can be served without reheating. It means that sometimes I can meal prep and then let everyone fend for themselves at meal time. It’s a real treat when things are extra hectic and I don’t have time to be in the kitchen.

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Another reason to love recipes that can be served cold is the fact that they can be used for lunches on the go. When life gets hectic you don’t have to turn right to fast food.

This is a budget friendly option that can be prepared in advance and then eaten throughout the week for lunches, great for those just getting into meal prep.

What do I need to make garden quinoa salad with chicken?

Apart from the obvious…quinoa and chicken…we will also be using fresh green beans that are blanched and cherry tomatoes.

There’s a homemade dressing on this cold quinoa salad that is made with olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, red wine vinegar, sugar, garlic, and salt/pepper to taste.

You can find the ingredients and amounts in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post! This tasty recipe comes together quickly and easily.

You can use whatever kind of chicken you have on hand. I like to use boneless skinless breasts or thighs because they’re easy but you could also probably use ground chicken or pulled rotisserie chicken if you have it on hand!

Making blanched green beans for a cold quinoa salad:

Blanching vegetables is great when you are going to put them into a recipe that requires them to retain some of their freshness. For a summer salad like this garden quinoa salad with chicken you’ll want fresh green beans that are blanched!

Blanching veggies is really easy. It also makes sure that they retain a lot of their nutritional value!

First you’ll want to bring a pot of water to a boil and fill a large bowl with ice and water.

Put the green beans into the pot of boiling water, make sure it comes back to a boil, and cook for about 3 minutes. They should remain a little crisp but get a bit more tender than fresh green beans! They’ll turn bright green and you’ll see that they’re ready.

Next, transfer them directly into the bowl of ice water for a few minutes until they are cooled. This stops the cooking process and locks in all those nutrients and natural flavors!

If you don’t have access to fresh green beans for this recipe you can use frozen ones. Just make sure to thaw them out beforehand so they don’t make your salad watery!

How to make a summer quinoa salad:

While quinoa is cooking, prepare lemon vinaigrette dressing by whisking ingredients together.

In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa with chicken, green beans and grape tomatoes.

Add lemon dressing and toss. Can be served warm, but tastes best if chilled for 30-60 minutes so that flavors meld and quinoa is able to soak up the vinaigrette

Looking for more recipes to enjoy?

If you think this summer quinoa salad with chicken looks tasty you’ll also love some of these other quinoa salads that I’ve shared in the past. Try out The Tastiest Quinoa Salad Recipe and Vegetarian Greek Quinoa Salad!

Another few recipes that I think you’ll enjoy are Tuna, Green Bean & Potato Salad, Salad with Shawarma Beef, and Super Easy 5-Ingredient Red Potato Salad!

When it comes to summer and picnic side dishes you won’t want to miss out on this recipe collection. There are over 100 recipes that are perfect for the summer months.

Printable Recipe For Garden Quinoa Salad with Chicken: