Grill Is On! Chicken & Black Quinoa Chopped Salad
Black quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is a gluten free wholegrain. 1 cup of cooked quinoa is a source of more than 8g of protein. WOW!
Meg brought us into her Zoom cocktaling world last week and shared a Saffron Americano 
recipe. Meanwhile I’ve been flipping chicken on the grill to bring you a duo of simple salads using our Southwest Fiesta blend. First up is our grilled chicken and black quinoa salad with chili, honey & lime dressing. Look out for the second Southwest recipe in coming weeks: tortilla Salad with a tomato, red wine vinegar chili dressing.
It’s not often we find black foods, (although thinking about it they are some of the best for both taste and nutrition – squid ink in the Valencian and Catalan dish arròs negre, black beans, black tea, and black wild rice,) so when I discovered black quinoa for the first time in my local grocery store I snapped it up.
The grain is described as the nuttiest of quinoa varieties predominantly grown in the Andean
region of South America and until now I had never considered what the plant looks like. A tall flowering “pseudocereal” from which edible seed heads are harvested and make their way into bowls all across the globe.
I looked at the packet a few times before cooking up a batch and putting it into the fridge. It took a few more “looks” before a recipe idea rose to the surface. Once I knew it was destined for some sort of chopped salad, I purposefully set about using our Southwest Fiiesta blend as a marinade for grilled chicken. My salad ingredients below are a guide, just add any chopped veggies including diced kohlrabi, sweetcorn, and zucchini. You can crunch some tortilla chips over the top for added texture.
I love the Fairtrade Quinola brand, available in the US at these stockists, and widely available in the UK. Quinola have a wonderful story and purpose, sharing our commitment to an integrated work model in France for adults with disabilities, as we do with our team at Planet Access Company in Chicago.
Happy Cooking!
A note from Jane & Meg
After literally hundreds of days in our kitchens we are taking our spices outside! This summer we are introducing more grilling and cocktail recipes. Be prepared and don’t forget to keep up to date on our website.
Southwest Grilled Chicken & Quinoa
Ingredients
Marinade
- 2 lbs chicken thighs boneless & skinless
- 1 Southwest Fiesta blend
- 1 tsp 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup lime juice
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Salad
- 3 cups black quinoa, cooked*
- 2 bell peppers; green red or yellow deseeded & diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 cups cucumber diced
- 1 avocado diced
Dressing
- 1 cup yogurt + 2 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 serrano chili optional
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Add the chicken & the marinade ingredients to a small container with a lid or a ziplog bag; massage the ingredients together & leave to rest in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.
- When ready to cook, preheat the grill to 325F.
- Cook the chicken thighs for 8 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F, brushing with the marinade once during cooking
- Remove the chicken from the grill; cover & allow to rest while you prepare the salad & dressing ingredients
- Slice the chicken and toss into the salad; season & spoon the dressing over the top.
Zen Moment
“Put something good on your plate” Jane McKay
