High-protein grilled chicken, quinoa and edamame salad
Warm quinoa and roasted aubergine with grilled chicken, edamame and a lemon-tahini dressing — protein-packed and fresh.
This is the kind of salad that satisfies hunger and protein goals in one bowl. Warm quinoa and roasted aubergine give body, edamame boosts the protein, and grilled chicken keeps this substantial without feeling stodgy.
Make it for a post-workout supper, a weekend lunch to impress, or batch-cook the quinoa and dressing for lunches through the week. The lemon-tahini dressing ties everything together with a hit of creaminess and brightness.
Ingredients
- 600 g chicken breast
- 200 g quinoa
- 480 ml vegetable stock
- 1 aubergine — large
- 45 ml olive oil
- 200 g frozen edamame — shelled
- 200 g cherry tomatoes
- 1 cucumber — medium
- 1 red pepper — medium
- 100 g mixed salad leaves
- 20 g fresh parsley — roughly chopped
- 10 g fresh mint — leaves picked and chopped
- 60 g tahini
- 2 lemon — one for dressing, one for wedges
- 1 garlic clove — finely grated
- 15 ml tamari — use gluten-free tamari if needed
- 15 ml honey
- 5 ml sea salt
- 5 ml freshly ground black pepper
Equipment
- baking tray
- grill or grill pan
- medium saucepan
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 220°C fan/240°C conventional and position a baking tray on the middle shelf.
Trim the aubergine and cut into 1 cm thick rounds. Arrange on the baking tray, brush both sides with 15 ml olive oil and season with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast until golden and soft, about 25 minutes, turning once halfway.
Rinse the quinoa under cold water in a fine sieve. Bring the vegetable stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan, add the quinoa and 1/2 tsp sea salt, then simmer gently, uncovered, for 12 minutes until the grains are tender.
Turn off the heat, cover the pan with a lid and leave the quinoa to stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
While the quinoa cooks, bring a small pan of water to the boil, add a pinch of sea salt and drop in the frozen edamame. Cook for 3 minutes, then drain and refresh under cold water to stop the cooking.
Make the dressing: whisk together the tahini, juice of 1 lemon (about 30 ml), grated garlic clove, tamari, honey, 30 ml water and 15 ml olive oil until smooth. Season with freshly ground black pepper and more sea salt if needed.
Brush the chicken breasts with the remaining olive oil and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Grill on a hot grill or grill pan for about 5 minutes per side (10 minutes total), until well browned and cooked through.
Remove the chicken and leave to rest for 5 minutes before slicing thinly.
Halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber and red pepper. In a large bowl combine the fluffed quinoa, roasted aubergine, edamame, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, mixed salad leaves, chopped parsley and mint. Add the sliced chicken, pour over the dressing and toss gently. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with lemon wedges.
Tips
- Rinse quinoa well in a fine sieve to remove its natural bitter coating — it makes a surprising difference to the finished texture.
- If your chicken breasts are uneven in thickness, pound them to an even thickness so they cook uniformly.
- The dressing can be made up to 3 days ahead; store in a sealed jar and whisk before using. If it thickens, stir in a splash of water.
- For a lighter version, reduce the tahini to 40 g and increase lemon juice by 15 ml for extra brightness; this will lower fat but keep the flavour.
- Leftovers keep well in the fridge for 2 days; add fresh greens only when serving to avoid sogginess.
Substitutions
chicken breast → firm tofu, pressed and grilled in the same way (600 g)
Stays closequinoa → bulgur wheat (200 g) — cooks faster but changes texture and is not suitable if gluten-free is needed
Noticeably differenttahini → natural yoghurt (125 g) for a creamier, tangier dressing (noticeably reduces fat)
Noticeably differentfrozen edamame → tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed (200 g)
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 706
- Calories
- 63 g
- Protein
- 48 g
- Carbs
- 29 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 650 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this salad ahead?
Yes — cook the quinoa, roast the aubergine and make the dressing up to 3 days ahead. Store components separately and assemble just before eating; add the leaves at the last minute.
How do I know the chicken is cooked?
Use a probe thermometer: the thickest part should read 75°C. If you don’t have one, slice the thickest point to check juices run clear and there’s no pink.
Can I make this vegetarian?
Yes — substitute firm tofu pressed and grilled the same way, or increase edamame and add extra chickpeas for more protein.
How long will leftovers keep?
Assembled salad is best eaten within 24 hours. Stored separately, cooked components keep 2–3 days in the fridge.
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