A crunchy grilled chicken salad that is bursting of flavors and packed with nutrients. It’s full of antioxidants and high in protein. Plus, It’s gluten free too!
I had hate/ love relationship with cilantro. I used to hate it when mom add it fresh for mloukhiya. My mom also serve it fresh with crushed garlic and with a squeeze of lemon and some green pepper on lunch meal everyday . And when I moved out and started my own journey, I tried cilantro with pico de galle salad (the Mexican salad), I loved it. I started to buy it more often.
And, I was thinking while this combo is fresh and tasty, how about making a salad with an interesting dressing, to include fresh cilantro. And to how to get that intense flavor of cilantro in a way that is perfectly healthy and full of flavor? Pesto!
Why this grilled chicken salad
- It has chicken that is lean protein, and has high amounts of niacin (especially the breast) which helps the body do natural detoxification and helps lower bad cholesterol, and raise the good cholesterol.
- It has cilantro that is has high content of antioxidants like beta carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. And high amounts of vitamin A and C and fibers.
- It has quinoa that is low in calories, fat, high in protein, and a good source of fiber.
- An easy and flavorful salad that is gluten free too
You can grill the chicken the way you like it, and you may add other spices of flavors. I kept it simple so the pesto in this salad can shine. The salad it self stayed fresh for few days, however keep the pesto on the side and mix it with salad just before serving. And technically pesto is good for 5 days maximum, and better to consume it before that.
If salad is your thing, especially if you will love salad with untypical twists and additions like fruits such as peach and apple. So this peach quinoa salad and this fresh watercress apple salad they will be your new favorites.
And you can check more salads here
Enjoy!
Grilled Chicken Salad with Cilantro Pesto
Ingredients
- Cilantro pesto
- 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
- 1 Tb Parmesan cheese
- 1 Tb olive oil
- 1/2 Tb pine nuts
- A pinch of salt
- 1 garlic cloves
- 1 small boneless chicken breast , Grilled and cut into stripes
- 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
- Half of avocado
- A handful of cherry tomato
- A handful of sweet corn
- Salt and pepper (as desired)
- Shaved Parmesan (Optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the pesto, In a blender, add the ingredients of the cilantro pesto.
- Start blending in pulses.
- You can add extra olive oil to get a smooth texture and then set aside.
- Grill the chicken in the oven or over electrical grill.
- Cook quinoa according to the package instructions.
- In your favorite bowl, add quinoa, cherry tomato, corn and avocado.
- then add grilled chicken and drizzle the pesto over it.
- Serve hot or cold, and refrigerate the leftovers, while the pesto is on side.
