Quinoa Salad with Apple, Grilled Chicken & Avocado
A quinoa salad that doesn't act like one. 1,037 kcal from a single bowl, with grilled chicken and crumbled feta sitting on a bed of quinoa, fresh apple cubes, and half an avocado. The dressing is three ingredients: olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, and a teaspoon of honey that ties the savory and sweet together.
The apple is the move nobody expects in a protein salad. It cuts through the richness of the avocado and feta with something crisp and tart, turning what could be another predictable grain bowl into a meal that actually surprises you.
Fifteen minutes. No cooking beyond the quinoa. 51g of protein and 55g of fat from three different sources. This is a salad that feeds you like a full meal, because it is one.
A quinoa salad that doesn't act like one. 1,037 kcal from a single bowl, with grilled chicken and crumbled feta sitting on a bed of quinoa, fresh apple cubes, and half an avocado. The dressing is three ingredients: olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, and a teaspoon of honey that ties the savory and sweet together.
The apple is the move nobody expects in a protein salad. It cuts through the richness of the avocado and feta with something crisp and tart, turning what could be another predictable grain bowl into a meal that actually surprises you.
Fifteen minutes. No cooking beyond the quinoa. 51g of protein and 55g of fat from three different sources. This is a salad that feeds you like a full meal, because it is one.
Ingredients
- quinoa 3 ounces
- apple 1
- avocado 0.5
- radishes 5
- mixed salad 1 handful
- grilled chicken strips 3 ounces
- feta cheese, crumbled 2 ounces
- olive oil 1.5 tablespoons
- lemon juice 1 squeeze
- honey 1 teaspoon
Method
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Cook the quinoa according to the package instructions. Then drain and let it cool in a colander.
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Cut the apple and avocado into cubes. Slice the radishes. Combine the apple, avocado, radishes, lettuce, grilled chicken, and cooled quinoa in a bowl. Crumble the feta over the salad.
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Make a dressing by mixing the oil, lemon juice, and honey. Pour the dressing over the quinoa salad and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Spread the cooked quinoa on a wide plate or baking sheet to cool it down in half the time. Piling it in a colander works, but the grains in the center stay warm and wilt the salad greens the moment you toss everything together.
Behind this recipe
Is 1,037 calories a lot for a salad?
For a single serving, 1,037 kcal is a full meal, not a side dish. Whether that fits your day depends on your total calorie target. If you eat around 2,000 kcal, this salad covers roughly half. The combination of quinoa, avocado, olive oil, and feta makes it calorie-dense despite looking like a light lunch. That gap between how a meal looks and what it actually delivers is exactly what catches people off guard with 'healthy' eating.
Read the full evidence reviewIs 55 grams of fat in one meal too much?
It depends on your total daily intake, not a single meal in isolation. The 55g comes from three sources: avocado, olive oil, and feta. Research on dietary fat and body composition has consistently found that total calorie intake matters more than the fat percentage of individual meals when it comes to changes in body fat. The full breakdown is covered in Does Eating Fat Make You Fat.
Read the full evidence reviewCan I make this salad ahead of time?
The quinoa, chicken, dressing, and radishes hold well for a day in the fridge. But apple and avocado brown within a few hours once cut. If you are prepping ahead, keep those two ingredients separate and add them right before eating. A squeeze of extra lemon juice on the apple slices slows the browning.
Why put apple in a savory salad?
Apple adds a crisp, tart bite that cuts through the richness of avocado and feta. Without it, the salad leans heavy and one-note. The sweetness also pairs with the honey-lemon dressing, connecting the toppings to the sauce. It is the ingredient that keeps the bowl from tasting like everything else on a grain-salad menu.
