An easy salad, like chicken avocado quinoa salad, that can be made ahead and enjoyed all week long is perfect for meal prep or just to get ready for a summer party!
During the summer, I totally crave cool salads but get bored with lettuce based salads pretty quickly. Chicken avocado quinoa salad is the perfect salad that fits as a light main course or a fun side dish at your summer BBQ or picnic.
I recently discovered a quinoa and red rice blend at the store so I swap that out for regular quinoa from time to time. This salad is so versatile that you can use regular quinoa, red quinoa or even the blend of quinoa and red rice. If you need a great recipe for perfect quinoa every time, use this one.
Since the lime juice is the main “sauce” component to the chicken avocado quinoa salad, be sure to use fresh limes versus bottled lime juice. It makes a huge different in flavor! I also toss my cut avocado in a little lime juice before adding to the salad.
Now, I know some people can’t do cilantro because it tastes like soap for them. Thankfully, I am not that person. However, if you aren’t a cilantro fan, you can replace it with Italian parsely. You’ll lose a little flavor but, if that flavor is soap to you, you really haven’t lost much, right?
You can serve this warm but I prefer cold. So, I usually make it on Sunday and then enjoy it during the week for lunch. It holds up so well so making it ahead is no problem at all. (So perfect for meal prep!)
If you like this chicken avocado quinoa salad, be sure to try these great recipes:
What You’ll Need for This Recipe:
- Strainer
- Large Bowl
- Blender or Food Processor
If you make this chicken avocado quinoa salad or any other recipe from the blog, I’d love to hear about your experience. Let me know if the comments or snap a photo and tag it #MySuburbanKitchen on Instagram or Twitter.
- 1 cup quinoa cooked and cooled
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 ears of corn grilled and removed from cob (or 1 small can niblets)
- 1 cup shredded cooked chicken
- 1 large avocado
- 4 limes
- 3/4 cup fresh cilantro
- 2 1/2 Tbsp agave sugar works ok too
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1. In a large bowl, mix onion, black beans, corn, chicken and quinoa together.
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2. In a blender, combine the lime juice, cilantro and agave to make the dressing.
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3. Cut the avocado in small pieces and toss in dressing. Add avocado to quinoa mixture.
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4. Pour dressing over quinoa mixture and toss to combine. Sprinkle with sea salt.
1. I use a rotisserie chicken but you can use about 2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded.
2. You can replace the cilantro with parsley if desired.
3. You can replace the fresh corn with one can of Mexicorn (drained) if desired.
mmm…Come link this up!!
Thanks for sharing…this looks delish!
I am just learning to use quinoa…this looks terrific..thanks!
Love this! Thanks for sharing! We would love to have you link up some of your recipes over at our party!
http://baked-inthesouth.blogspot.com/2012/07/made-it-by-monday-link-party.html
Came over from DIY Show off Party 🙂 This looks sooooo yummy!
This looks delicious!
Stopping by from the Just A Girl linkup.
Looks Good! I have quinoa in my pantry, now I just need to remember to make it! Visiting from Elizabeth & Co liunkup – have a wonderful week 🙂
This looks delicious! I’m excited to be a new follower and see more of your cute ideas and food! I would love if you followed me back! http://www.iheartpears.blogspot.com
this looks so yummy!! thanks for sharing and thanks for linkin up to Tell Me Tuesday!!
This looks amazing! Featuring tonight at Mom On Timeout!
I would love to try quinoa with my Little Chefs. This would be great because they love all the other ingredients. I’d love for you to share this or any recipe with my readers at Fantastic Thursday. http://www.fivelittlechefs.com/p/fantastic-friday.html
i always look at these yummy food posts late at night and get starving hungry! thanks for linking tip-toe thru tuesday!
Wow. This looks super yummy. I might have to give it a whirl! Thanks for sharing on Show and Tell at SNAP!
xoxo, Tauni
That looks so good and healthy! Thank you for sharing. Visiting from 20 Below. Would love it if you would share this at my Make it Pretty Monday party at The Dedicated House. http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/2012/07/make-it-pretty-monday-week-6.html Wishing you a grand rest of the week. Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse
The subject of this week’s Food on Friday is Salad. It would be great if you linked this in. This is the link . I found this through Live.Laugh.Rowe
Sounds and looks so very yummy!
Thanks for linking up at I Gotta Create!
<3 Christina
Totally on a quinoa kick….. this sounds awesome!
Lovely. Great that you linked in, thanks. have a good one
I recently went to a dinner presentation by the California Avacado group… delicious. But I am also sharing an obsession with avocados lately. 🙂 Looks delicious!
I recently went to a dinner presentation by the California Avacado group… delicious. But I am also sharing an obsession with avocados lately. 🙂 Looks delicious!
Avocado is one of my favorite ingredients – yum!
Avocado is one of my favorite ingredients – yum!
this is a very healthy recipe with avacado and quinoa, two of my favorites in one dish!