Quinoa Chef Salad
Quinoa Chef Salad: vegetarian and gluten free! If you’re looking for quick, easy, and healthy, look no further. Quinoa is a wonderful healthy addition that we’re going to use to replace the meat in the traditional recipe for Chef Salad. But everything else in this salad is pure preference! You can customize it to fit your mood, or what’s left in your refrigerator!
What Exactly is a Chef Salad You Ask?
It’s an American salad of chopped vegetables, meat (in this case quinoa), cheese, egg, and your dressing of choice. Common vegetable choices are:
- Cucumber
- Carrots
- Sweet pepper
- Onion (green or red are great choices)
- Celery
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Radishes
So simple to put together and perfect for a filling meal! This salad is a great choice for meal prep or a when you need to get in those extra vegetables.
How to put together the perfect Chef Salad:
- Step one: chop all vegetables and set aside
- Layer lettuce in a single layer on the plate
- Top with the remaining ingredients and your favorite dressing
To make this recipe vegan, omit the hard boiled egg, replace the cheese with your favorite vegan cheese substitute, and you’re good to go!
Quinoa Chef Salad
Ingredients
- 8 cups romaine lettuce (sliced (about 1 head of lettuce))
- 2 cups cooked and chilled quinoa
- 1 cup yellow pepper (chopped)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1 cup cucumber (chopped)
- 1 cup celery (sliced)
- 1 cup carrots (grated or matchsticks)
- 4 oz cheddar cheese (cubed)
- 4 hardboiled eggs (halved)
Instructions
- Spread out 2 cups of lettuce on each plate.
- Top the lettuce with 1/2 cup of quinoa.
- Add 1/4 cup of each: yellow pepper, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, celery, and carrots.
- Add 1oz of cheese per plate and top with 2 halves of hard boiled egg.
- Top with your favorite dressing!
Nutrition
Check out more of my SALAD recipes on the blog or my Salad board on Pinterest for more ideas!