Balsamic Chicken Berry Salad with Quinoa

PSA: fruit in salad is totally mouth watering and one of the Best means to use up summer time generate. There, I explained it.

This sweet and savory, protein-packed chicken berry salad was section of an AK Salad Challenge we did again in 2018 and it’s so delicious that I experienced to reshare it with some tweaks and updates. This magnificence is crammed with wholesome fats from avocado and almonds, protein from hen and quinoa, and tons of wonderful flavor from refreshing berries and a homemade raspberry balsamic dressing.

You can even marinate your hen in a lot more of the raspberry balsamic right before cooking it for additional tangy flavor — remarkably recommend!

As constantly, I incorporated tons of wonderful strategies to customise this salad recipe with your fav fruits and veggies, various proteins, and so a lot extra. Layer it up in a mason jar for the best meal prep lunch, or triple or quadruple it to provide a group!

The essential to building a salad in a jar

I love building and storing salads in jars for the reason that they are these kinds of an uncomplicated, fun way to meal prep! The essential to a ideal mason jar salad is to layer the components in a way that they never get soggy. You are going to normally want to set the dressing at the bottom, followed by crunchy veggies, protein, and greens at the top. Get all of my mason jar salad guidelines & recipes here!

For illustration, in this chicken berry salad, you will want to continue to keep the zippy arugula at the leading so that it doesn’t get wilted and soggy in the balsamic dressing!

Almost everything you will will need to make this hen berry salad

This amazing hen berry salad is packed with protein and nutritious fat to hold you comprehensive all afternoon and is the ideal combo of sweet and savory. The ingredients are affordable also! Check out browsing for berries at your farmer’s market place. Here’s what you will need to make it:

• For the dressing: I really endorse utilizing my homemade raspberry balsamic dressing that’s manufactured with tremendous straightforward components. You can also use your fav shop-acquired berry vinaigrette.
• Chicken: you’ll have to have cooked, diced or shredded rooster breast. Marinade and cooking guidelines underneath!
• Quinoa: this hen berry salad also has protein-packed quinoa, which adds a charming, nutty flavor and awesome texture. Find out how to cook flawlessly fluffy quinoa here!
• Fruits & veggies: we’re loading this salad up with clean strawberries, blueberries, creamy avocado and zippy arugula.
• Almonds: for a minimal extra crunch and nutritious fat you’ll also increase some toasted sliced almonds.
• Goat cheese: creamy goat cheese crumbles add the excellent tangy bites to the salad.

The excellent hen for this berry salad

This chicken berry salad is a fantastic way to use up leftover hen or even rotisserie hen, but if you are cooking it from scratch we advise:

Make this summer time rooster berry salad your own

Just like so many of my salad recipes, this 1 is super uncomplicated to customize with what you have on hand. Here’s what I suggest:

• To make vegan or vegetarian: merely omit the chicken and include 1 cup of chickpeas, or 1 cup of cooked, cubed tofu. Understand how to grill tofu right here! To make it vegan you will also want to omit the goat cheese.
• For the cheese: you could also swap the goat cheese for feta crumbles if you prefer a saltier bite!
• Opt for your create: come to feel free of charge to use any berries you’d like — I believe raspberries and blackberries would also be delicious. You could also swap the arugula for spinach.
• Check out a new grain: I love the earthy, nutty flavor of quinoa, but you could also include orzo, barley, or farro.

Two strategies to toast almonds

You can easily toast your own almonds right at residence for this hen berry salad, and there are two ways to do it: on the stovetop or in the oven!

• Stovetop strategy: Add sliced almonds to a pan and put in excess of medium heat, stirring at times for 2-5 minutes until finally almonds are somewhat golden brown. Eliminate from heat and enable to interesting just before adding them to the salad.
• Oven approach: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Position sliced almonds on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes right up until fragrant and golden brown, stirring when halfway through baking. Enjoy thoroughly so that nuts do not burn up!

How to make this hen berry salad in a jar

1. Make the dressing. Start out by creating the raspberry balsamic dressing, or choosing your fav keep-bought berry balsamic dressing.
2. Prepare dinner the quinoa. If you really do not previously have cooked quinoa, find out how to prepare dinner excellent quinoa below and then set it aside.
3. Chop your produce. Reduce & dice your strawberries and avocado as directed so that they’re chunk-sized.
4. Layer the mason jar. Include all of the elements to your mason jar in the pursuing order: dressing, strawberries, cooked quinoa, blueberries, hen, goat cheese, avocado, arugula, and almonds.
5. Store, then provide. Retailer your mason jar salad in the fridge until finally you are all set to try to eat it, then enjoy!

Storing & serving suggestions

Retail outlet the quinoa rooster berry salad in a 16 ounce mason jar or food prep container for up to 2-3 times. Simply because it is tough to produce the layers in a meal prep container, I suggest storing the dressing separately and including it appropriate ahead of serving. Only pour the salad out from the jar into a bowl or onto a plate to delight in it, or mix it correct in your meal prep container.

By the way, this salad would make an Superb summertime picnic or potluck salad. It’s refreshing and bursting with assortment and taste. I’d suggest quadrupling the elements, tossing anything together, and then just in advance of serving, topping it with the avocado, goat cheese and almonds. Every person will go mad for the flavasss up in there.

A lot more meal prep salad recipes we really like

Get all of my mason jar salad recipes in this article, and the relaxation of my salad recipes in this article!

I hope you adore this balsamic hen berry salad in a jar! If you make it be positive to go away a remark and a ranking so I know how you appreciated it. Enjoy, xo! 

This write-up was at first published on May possibly 17, 2018, and republished on August 10, 2022.