This quinoa salad with peanut dressing is full of colorful veggies and packed with nutrients.
By Kelsey Hilts
My family loves Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce but I think I actually prefer our left-over meal: {Chicken} Quinoa Satay Salad with Peanut Dressing. I now make the peanut sauce to go straight to the salad. The salad has plenty of protein with the quinoa and it is yummy with just the veggies but I like to mix in some teriyaki chicken for some additional flavor and lean protein.
I added roasted zucchini, red pepper and carrots for more color and nutrients. You can add any of your favorite veggies. I like to roast them just to al dente but you can use raw veggies instead. Stir in the peanut sauce to taste for the dressing and serve the salad warm, at room-temp or chilled.
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Quinoa Chicken Satay Salad with Peanut Dressing
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4+ 1x
Description
This quinoa salad with peanut dressing is full of colorful veggies and packed with nutrients.
Ingredients
Peanut Sauce
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 1/3 cup light coconut milk
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 garlic clove, pressed
- 1 Tbsp torn cilantro leaves
- 1 tsp curry paste
- 1/2 tsp chili oil
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- A couple squirts of lime juice
- A couple drops of fish sauce, optional
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar, optional, to taste
- 1/4 tsp cayenne, to taste
Chicken Satay Marinade
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp vinegar (I prefer using balsamic)
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp ginger, minced (You can substitute 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger but I prefer fresh ginger.)
- 1–2 Tbsp Canola oil
- 3–4 chicken thighs or 2–3 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
Quinoa Salad
- Quinoa
- Roasted zucchini
- Roasted carrots
- Roasted red peppers
- Teriyaki chicken chunks
- Peanut Sauce, to taste
Instructions
Peanut Sauce
- Whisk the peanut butter and the hot water.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir until a smooth sauce forms.
- Adjust the spice and sweetness of the sauce to taste.
Chicken Satay
- Mix the marinade ingredients together in a bowl or a ziploc bag.
- Cut the chicken into chunks and put it on skewers.
- Put the skewered chicken in the bowl or the bag so that the chicken is covered by the marinade. You can also marinate the chicken chunks first and then skewer them on the sticks.
- BBQ the chicken skewers rotating them periodically so that the chicken cooks evenly on all sides.
- Or you can broil them in the oven for 5-7 minutes on each side, until the chicken is done.
- Let the chicken cool slightly and then cut it into bite-sized chunks.
Quinoa Salad
- Cook the quinoa according to the directions on the package.
- Slice the zucchini into spears, the carrots into rounds and the red pepper into small chunks or slices.
- Place the veggies on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1-2 tsp oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Roast the veggies on a broiling pan for 5-10 minutes on the broil setting, flipping them halfway, until they are al dente.
- Let the veggies cool slightly and then chop them into bite-sized chunks.
- Toss the quinoa, roasted veggie chunks, chunks of teriyaki chicken and peanut sauce in a large bowl.
- Serve the salad warm or chilled.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
