PERUVIAN CHICKEN, AVOCADO & QUINOA SALAD

Peruvian chicken, avocado & quinoa salad image

Fed up with pasta salad? This gluten-free alternative is packed with lean protein from the chicken, and healthy, heart-friendly fats from the avocado

Provided by Justine Pattison

Time 30m

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

50g uncooked quinoa
100g frozen sweetcorn
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
75g cherry tomatoes , quartered
small pack coriander , leaves roughly chopped
2 spring onions , trimmed and finely sliced
zest and juice 1 lime
1/2 long red chilli , finely chopped (deseeded if you don't like it too hot)
1 ripe but firm avocado
200g skinless, cold, cooked roast chicken , cut into chunky pieces

Steps:

Half-fill a medium pan with water and bring to the boil. Rinse the quinoa in a fine sieve, then add to the water, stir well and simmer for 12 mins or until just tender.
While the quinoa is cooking, put the sweetcorn in a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat. Cook for 5 mins, turning every now and then, until defrosted and lightly toasted. Set aside.
Rinse the cooked quinoa in a sieve under cold water, then press hard with a serving spoon to remove excess water.
Tip the quinoa into a bowl and toss with the olive oil, sweetcorn, tomatoes, coriander, spring onions, lime zest and chilli. Season well with black pepper.
Halve and stone the avocado. Scoop out the flesh with a large metal spoon, cut into slices and combine with the lime juice. Add the chicken pieces and avocado to the salad and toss gently together before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 512 calories, Fat 29 grams fat, SaturatedFat 6 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 26 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 5 grams sugar, Fiber 5 grams fiber, Protein 34 grams protein, Sodium 0.3 milligram of sodium