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chicken quinoa berry salad in a mason jar

Balsamic Chicken Berry Quinoa Salad

Flavorful Balsamic Chicken Berry Quinoa Salad with a sweet & tangy raspberry vinaigrette! This healthy meal prep salad is protein-packed with fresh berries and creamy goat cheese in every bite.
Course Gluten Free, Lunch, Meal Prep, Salad
Keyword berry quinoa salad
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 mason jar salads
Calories 517 kcal
Author Monique of AmbitiousKitchen.com

Ingredients

  • For the chicken:
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • For the dressing:
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon raspberry jam
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • For the salad:
  • 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 3/4 cup quartered strawberries
  • ½ cup blueberries
  • 1/2 cup goat cheese crumbles
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • ¼ cup toasted sliced almonds (or chopped roasted almonds)
  • 2-4 cups arugula or baby spinach

Instructions

  1. Add chicken and marinade ingredients to a large ziploc bag. Marinate chicken for 20 minutes to 1 hour.
  2. While you are marinating your chicken, make your quinoa: Add 1 1/2 cup water to a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Then, stir in quinoa. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for exactly 15 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat and let stand covered for another 5-10 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork. Quinoa will pop upon cooking and expand. To help separate the grains, use a fork and fluff the quinoa. Set aside.
  3. While the quinoa is cooking, chop all your ingredients for your salad.
  4. Next, make your raspberry vinaigrette. Add all ingredients for the dressing to a small bowl and mix until well-combined. Set aside.
  5. Once ready to cook chicken, preheat grill to medium high heat. Lightly oil the grate. Grill chicken breasts for 6-8 minutes per side, or until juices run clear and chicken is no longer pink. Once chicken has cooked, transfer to a cutting board and dice into bite sized pieces.
  6. Make the mason jar salads by dividing ingredients evenly between 4 (32-ounce) large mason jars in the following order: dressing, strawberries, cooked quinoa, blueberries, chicken, goat cheese, avocado, arugula, almonds.
  7. When ready to serve, pour contents from the mason jar onto a plate or into a bowl and enjoy! Makes 4 large mason jars.

Recipe Notes

To make vegetarian: replace chicken with 1 (15oz) can chickpeas

Nutrition Facts
Balsamic Chicken Berry Quinoa Salad
Amount Per Serving (1 mason jar salad)
Calories 517 Calories from Fat 266
% Daily Value*
Fat 29.5g45%
Saturated Fat 5.2g33%
Carbohydrates 35.1g12%
Fiber 7g29%
Sugar 5.6g6%
Protein 32.3g65%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.