lemon-parm chicken, quinoa, & kale salad

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

To make the lemon vinaigrette, add all ingredients (1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup lemon juice, 1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons honey, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme or oregano, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, and several grinds of black pepper) to a large jar and shake vigorously until combined. Adjust seasoning to taste. (As always, that is the most important part of making a dressing — my perfect dressing is not the same as yours! Add more vinegar to make it more acidic, more honey to make it sweeter, more oil to make it thicker and less acidic, more salt to make the flavors pop, etc.) Dressing will keep in the fridge for up to 10 days.

Step 2

To make the quinoa, add 1 cup uncooked quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water (or any kind of stock) to a small pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat, cover, and cook for 13 to 15 minutes, until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat but keep the lid on for an additional 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. You’ll use 2 cups of COOKED quinoa in this recipe and have about a cup left over. Let the leftovers cool completely then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for later use this week (see notes for ideas).

Step 3

Add 16 ounces chopped kale to a large bowl and season with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Use your hands to massage the kale until it JUST starts to feel damp — so squeeze it between your fists about 10 times. If you come across any pieces of thick stem while you’re massaging, discard them.

Step 4

Now let’s tackle that rotisserie chicken. Pull the thighs/legs and wings off, store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container, and use them for another meal within 4 days. Pull the breast meat off (I discard the skin but you can shred it in with the meat if you’d like!), shred it finely, and add the meat right on top of the kale. Add 2 cups cooked quinoa, 1 bag shredded carrots, 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 cup golden raisins, and your desired amount of dressing. (If I’m cooking this salad for dinner/to serve immediately, I use almost all of the dressing, about 1/3 cup! If I’m meal prepping it for lunches, I go lighter with the dressing initially then add a little more to each serving when I’m ready to eat it.)

Step 5

Toss to combine. Add more dressing as needed until your greens are coated to your liking. Divide the salad between four to six bowls, and garnish with more Parm and a sprinkle of chopped nuts. I love lemon so much that I serve each serving of salad with a lemon wedge for squeezing over top!(PS, I add the nuts at the end so that they don’t go into the big salad and get soggy in the fridge, but this is personal preference!)

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