Caprese Chicken Salad with Quinoa
Recipe and photo courtesy of Elayna & Adaya for the Young Cooks Recipe Challenge
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 small red onion
- 1 pint grape tomatoes
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 slices fresh mozzarella
- 4 to 6 fresh basil leaves
- 4 cups spring mix greens
Instructions
- In the oven, raise the oven rack so it’s approximately 5 to 6 inches from the broiler, usually the second-highest position. Preheat oven broiler.
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Do not rinse raw chicken. Arrange chicken on a parchment-lined baking pan. Season with salt and pepper.
- Wash hands with soap and water after handling raw chicken. Wash counters after handling raw chicken.
- Broil the chicken for 6 to 8 minutes on each side until internal temperature reaches 165 °F on a food thermometer. Remove from oven and set aside to keep warm.
- While the chicken is in the oven, cook quinoa according to package directions.
- Scrub the garlic and red onion with a clean vegetable brush under running water. Peel and mince the garlic, and thinly slice the red onion.
- Gently rub the grape tomatoes and basil leaves under cold running water. Cut the grape tomatoes, and slice the basil.
- If the spring mix greens weren’t prewashed, gently rub them under cold running water. Dry well on a clean towel.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil. Then add the onions in the oil for and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. Cook until vinegar is reduced by half.
- Add the chicken to the skillet and top with sliced mozzarella. Cover and cook until mozzarella is melted, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in basil and spoon over chicken breasts.
- To make the salad, toss spring mix greens and quinoa together. Arrange mixture on a plate, then top with chicken breast, tomatoes, onions, and balsamic reduction.