Elote Quinoa Salad

This grain bowl includes quinoa, chicken thighs, arugula, cabbage, corn, queso fresco and roasted red pepper, all tossed with a cilantro-chili dressing.

Course Salad

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword arugula, cilantro, corn, elote, grain bowl

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 45

Servings

Calories 775kcal

Ingredients

For the dressing:

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the grain bowl:

1 pound chicken thighs
1 medium red bell pepper, seeds removed and halved, lengthwise
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1½ cups cooked quinoa
4 ounces wild arugula
1 cup finely shredded red cabbage
2 medium ears of corn, kernels cut off the cob
½ cup chopped cilantro
2 medium avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
½ cup crumbled queso fresco
2 tablespoons raw sunflower kernels
1 medium lime, cut into wedges

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the dressing:

In a medium-mixing bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients and set aside.

For the grain bowl:

In a medium mixing bowl toss the chicken thighs with half the cilantro lime dressing. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, about 25 minutes. Remove and chop the chicken into 1” cubes then set aside.
Heat the oven to broil. Rub the red bell pepper with the olive oil then lay skin side up on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Broil until the skin is browned and bubbling, about 5 minutes.
Flip the red pepper over and continue to broil until lightly browned in patches, about an additional 3 minutes. Remove and peel the skin from the pepper then dice and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl toss the quinoa, arugula, cabbage, chicken, red pepper, cilantro, corn and avocado and toss to combine with the remaining dressing.
Divide the salad among bowls and top with the queso fresco and sunflower seeds. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

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