Quinoa Chicken Spinach Salad with honey lime vinaigrette

A white serving bowl with separate piles of diced chicken, quinoa, mandarin oranges, fresh spinach and walnuts with a small jar of a honey lime dressing in the background.

4.23 from 9 votes

Quinoa Chicken Spinach Salad with honey lime vinaigrette

Quinoa chicken spinach salad with mandarin oranges, walnuts and a honey-lime vinaigrette is a flavorful main dish salad that’s ready in just 20 minutes!

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the salad:

1 ¼ cups uncooked quinoa
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
2 big handfuls fresh spinach, roughly chopped
1 cup mandarin oranges, drained
½ cup walnuts, chopped

For the honey-lime vinaigrette:

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon hot sauce, optional

Instructions

Cook quinoa according to package directions. Let cool then season with salt and pepper.
Combine quinoa, chicken, spinach, mandarin oranges and walnuts in a large bowl.
For the vinaigrette, combine all ingredients in a small jar, cover and shake vigorously to get the ingredients well combined.
Drizzle vinaigrette over the salad and mix well.

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Notes

You can use leftover roasted or grilled chicken or pick up a store-bought rotisserie chicken for this recipe.

If you’re not a spicy person, just leave out the hot sauce in the dressing. If you are a spicy person, leave it in and add a drizzle of sriracha sauce to the salad when serving.

If making ahead, wait to add the walnuts until serving time so they stay fresh. Also, store the dressing separately and add it when ready to serve.

Nutrition

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