Chicken quinoa salad in a jar

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword avocado dressing, mason jar salad, meal prep lunch, southwest quinoa salad

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Servings 4 salads

Red quinoa, rotisserie chicken, corn, black bean salsa and a creamy avocado lime dressing. Makes four salads.

Ingredients

3/4 cup red quinoa
1/2 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems finely chopped, plus sprigs for garnish
1 scallion thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt
1 firm-ripe avocado halved, pitted and cut into large chunks
1/4 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
Juice of 1 lime plus 1 lime, quartered
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups frozen fire-roasted corn thawed
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken meat (from about 1/2 chicken; about 3/4 pound)
1 cup black bean salsa
1/4 cup roasted and salted pepitas
2 cups tortilla chips crushed
Special equipment: Four 16-ounce wide-mouthed glass jars with lids

Directions

Make the quinoa: put the quinoa and 1 1/4 cups water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, turn the heat down to medium-low, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender and most of the water has been absorbed. Pour off any extra water. Stir in the cilantro, scallion, olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Make the avocado cream: blend or process the avocado, sour cream, Parmesan, lime juice, 1 to 2 tablespoons water, cayenne and 3/4 teaspoon salt until smooth and creamy.
If the corn is cold, warm it in the microwave for about 1 minute.
Assemble: share the quinoa among the four jars, then add separate layers of corn, chicken, salsa, avocado cream and pepitas. Pack the crushed chips (about 1/4 cup per salad) and the lime wedges in their own containers.
Right before serving, tip the jar into a large bowl, add the tortilla chips and a squeeze of lime, and toss.

Notes

Keep refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or below.
Cooled quinoa can be refrigerated up to 2 days. Safety: contains chicken and avocado; eat within 1 to 2 days.

Nutrition

Nutrition is an estimate per serving from USDA FoodData Central, for 4 salads; red quinoa counted as dry quinoa, scallion counted as green onions, shredded rotisserie chicken meat counted as roasted chicken, roasted and salted pepitas counted as pumpkin seeds. Brands and portions vary, so use it only as an approximation.