Low Carb Quinoa Salad with Herbed Chicken

Name: Low Carb Quinoa Salad with Herbed Chicken
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 47 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: keto
Ingredients: Chicken Breast; Extra Virgin Olive Oil; Coarse Kosher Salt by Morton; Rosemary, Fresh; Thyme, Fresh; Dill Weed, Fresh; Organic Sprouted Tricolor Quinoa by Trader Joe's; Water; Garlic; Extra Virgin Olive Oil; White Wine Vinegar by Alessi; Apple Cider Vinegar; Coarse Kosher Salt by Morton; Black Pepper; Yellow Bell Peppers, Raw; Lettuce; English Cucumber by Generic; Asparagus; Avocado Oil

840 ratings

Low Carb Quinoa Salad with Herbed Chicken dish

Prepare Time 35 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

How to make Low Carb Quinoa Salad with Herbed Chicken

Marinate the chicken breasts by splitting the chicken breasts in half horizontally to create two flat pieces, essentially halving the chicken breast as they are usually fairly thick. Add in ¼ cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons of salt, all the herbs (chopped) with the chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag. Close the bag and massage the bag very well to incorporate everything and speed up the marination process. Refrigerate until ready to grill.
In the meantime, cook the quinoa. Place the quinoa in a small saucepan and toast on medium-high heat until it smells nutty, about 3 minutes.
Add in 1 ⅓ cup of water and bring the water to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer. Cover with a lid and allow to simmer for 10-12 minutes until all the water has evaporated. Turn off the heat and allow them to sit for 5 minutes covered.
Spread the cooked quinoa onto a sheet tray and place in the fridge to cool completely.
Prepare the salad dressing by grating a clove of garlic into a ¼ cup of olive oil, a ¼ cup of white wine vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper. When the quinoa is cooled, julienne the bell pepper and then cut the juliennes in half add them to the quinoa. Cut the lettuce into smaller bite-sized pieces and add them in. Slice the cucumber into 4 pieces by cutting it in half once and then again the long way. Then cut those the other directions to create bite-sized pieces.
Cut the asparagus into 1” pieces. Heat a small saute pan over medium-high heat and then add the avocado oil. Toss the asparagus in the pan for up to 1 minute. Then turn off the heat and allow them to sit in the pan until some of the rawness cooks off. Add this into the quinoa mixture as well.
When the chicken is done marinating, preheat a grill until it reaches at least 350 F.
Add the chicken to the grill and cook on the first side until very nice grill marks develop. This will take several minutes depending on your grill. Flip the breasts and cook on the other side for a few minutes. Flip them again and finish cooking them on this side. Cook until the chicken is cooked through and has reached 165 F internal temperature.
Toss the salad together with the dressing and serve with sliced grilled chicken.

Ingredients of Low Carb Quinoa Salad with Herbed Chicken

Ingredient	Quantity
1. Chicken Breast	2-½ pound
2. Extra Virgin Olive Oil	¼ cup
3. Coarse Kosher Salt by Morton	2 tsp
4. Rosemary, Fresh	⅓ cup
5. Thyme, Fresh	⅓ cup, chopped
6. Dill Weed, Fresh	⅓ cup, whole pieces
7. Organic Sprouted Tricolor Quinoa by Trader Joe's	⅔ cup dry
8. Water	1-⅓ cup
9. Garlic	1 clove
10. Extra Virgin Olive Oil	¼ cup
11. White Wine Vinegar by Alessi	¼ cup
12. Apple Cider Vinegar	1 teaspoon
13. Coarse Kosher Salt by Morton	1 tsp
14. Black Pepper	¼ teaspoon
15. Yellow Bell Peppers, Raw	1 large - 3" diameter x 3 3/4"
16. Lettuce	6 cup
17. English Cucumber by Generic	14 ounce
18. Asparagus	15 small - spear - 5" long or less
19. Avocado Oil	½ teaspoon

Low Carb Quinoa Salad with Herbed Chicken nutrients

caloriesKCal: 358.816 caloriesKJ: 1501.287 totalCarbs: 12.188 diabetesCarbsADA: 12.188 netCarbs: 9.262 diabetesCarbs: 9.295 fiber: 2.86 starch: 0.107 sugar: 2.326 addedSugar: 0 sugarAlcohols: 0.066 protein: 37.484 fat: 17.185 transFat: 0.12 monousatFat: 9.803 polyunsatFat: 2.35 omega3Fat: 0.238 omega6Fat: 2.112 saturatedFat: 3.016 cholesterol: 96.388 vitaminA: 119.919 vitaminC: 41.334 vitaminD: 0.141 vitaminE: 2.466 vitaminK: 80.575 vitaminB1: 0.13 vitaminB2: 0.197 vitaminB3: 14.597 vitaminB5: 1.275 vitaminB6: 0.764 vitaminB12: 0.385 potassium: 470.927 magnesium: 47.158 calcium: 53.163 iron: 2.559 zinc: 1.691 copper: 0.142 phosphorus: 271.35 sodium: 678.366 selenium: 28.972 folate: 71.559 choline: 105.364 alcohol: 0 caffeine: 0 gluten: 0 manganese: 0.236 conjugatedLinoleicAcid: 0.009 phyticAcid: 9.329 xylitol: 0.003 isomalt: 0 sorbitol: 0.002 maltitol: 0 lactitol: 0 erythritol: 0 pinitol: 0 inositol: 0.058 mannitol: 0.004

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some keto-approved salad dressings?

Choose dressings made with olive oil, avocado oil, or full-fat dairy. Avoid dressings with added sugars or high-carb ingredients.

How does the keto diet help with weight loss?

The keto diet promotes weight loss by shifting the body's primary source of fuel from carbs to fat. This encourages the body to burn stored fat for energy, resulting in weight loss.

Is quinoa allowed on a keto diet?

Quinoa is relatively high in carbs, so it's not commonly included in a keto diet. Opt for lower-carb grains like cauliflower rice or shirataki noodles.

Is intermittent fasting recommended with a keto diet?

Many people combine intermittent fasting with the keto diet for enhanced results. Fasting periods can help deplete glycogen stores and speed up the process of entering ketosis.