The Best Poached Chicken Quinoa Salad with Charred Broccoli & Lemon Mustard Dressing

This is such a good salad to have in your repertoire. Tender poached chicken, quinoa, lots of fresh dill, charred broccoli and zucchini, toasted almonds and a beautiful lemon mustard dressing to bring it all together. It works just as happily for lunch as it does for dinner, and it is lovely piled onto a big platter if friends are coming over. Best of all, much of it can be done ahead, which always makes me love a recipe that little bit more.

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Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: modern australian

Diet: Gluten Free

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 30

Servings:

Calories: 699kcal

Author: Nellie Kerrison | Relish Mama

Cost: $30

Equipment

Medium saucepan with lid, for the chicken
Small saucepan with lid, for the quinoa
Fine mesh sieve
Large frying pan, grill pan or barbecue
Chopping board
Sharp knife
small bowl or jar for the dressing
Whisk or fork
Large serving bowl or platter
Tongs or large serving spoons

Ingredients

For the poached chicken

600 g chicken breasts skinless
1 teaspoon sea salt
4 strips lemon peel
A few dill stalks optional
6 black peppercorns

For the quinoa salad

170 g quinoa approximately 1 cup
2 cups water or light chicken stock
1 large head broccoli approximately 400 g
2 medium zucchini
30 ml extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
½ cup flaked almonds
1 cup dill fronds roughly torn
2 spring onions finely sliced
2 generous handfuls baby spinach or rocket optional

Lemon mustard dressing

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1 small garlic clove finely grated or crushed
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

Poach the chicken

Place the chicken breasts in a saucepan in a single layer. Add the salt, lemon peel, dill stalks and peppercorns.
Cover the chicken with cold water by approximately 2–3 cm.
Bring slowly to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low. You want the water barely bubbling rather than boiling enthusiastically — this is the secret to beautifully tender chicken.
Cook gently for approximately 10–12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken. Turn off the heat, cover and leave the chicken in the poaching liquid for another 5–10 minutes, or until completely cooked through and the thickest part has reached 75°C.
Transfer the chicken to a plate and allow it to cool. Once cool enough to handle, tear or slice into lovely chunky pieces. I prefer tearing it rather than cutting everything too neatly.

Cook the quinoa

Place the quinoa in a fine sieve and rinse really well under cold running water.
Transfer to a saucepan with the water or stock and a good pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for approximately 12–15 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed.
Remove from the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and spread onto a tray or large plate to cool. This helps keep the grains light rather than clumping together.

Char the vegetables

Cut the broccoli into small florets. Peel the broccoli stalk and slice it thinly — you can use it all; it is delicious.
Slice the zucchini lengthways into approximately 1 cm thick strips, then cut these into generous angled pieces.
Toss the broccoli and zucchini separately with the olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.
Heat a large frying pan, grill pan or barbecue over high heat.
Cook the broccoli for approximately 5–7 minutes, turning occasionally, until bright green, tender and charred in places. Add a splash of water and cover briefly if the broccoli needs a little help becoming tender.
Cook the zucchini for approximately 2–3 minutes each side, or until golden and charred but still holding its shape.

Make the lemon mustard dressing:

Place the lemon zest and juice, wholegrain mustard, Dijon mustard, honey and garlic in a small bowl or jar.
Add the olive oil, season generously with salt and pepper and whisk or shake until combined. Taste. You are looking for something bright and lemony with enough mustard and salt to stand up to the quinoa.

To Assemble the salad

Place the quinoa on a large platter or in a wide serving bowl. Add approximately half of the dressing and toss gently.
Add the chicken, broccoli, zucchini, spring onion, most of the dill and the baby spinach or rocket, if using.
Spoon over more dressing and gently toss everything together. I like to keep some of the vegetables and chicken visible on top rather than mixing it into submission.
Finish with the toasted almonds, remaining dill and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper.
Serve with the remaining dressing alongside and a couple of lemon wedges if you have them.

Notes

Nellie's notes
Make it ahead: The quinoa and chicken can both be prepared up to 2 days ahead and stored separately in airtight containers in the fridge. The dressing can also be made 3–4 days ahead. I would char the vegetables on the day you are serving the salad if possible, although leftovers are still very good the following day.
For lunches: Divide the quinoa, chicken and vegetables between containers and keep the dressing separate. Add the herbs and almonds just before eating if you want them at their freshest.
For friends: Spread the salad over a really generous platter rather than serving it from a deep bowl. Add extra dill, almonds and lemon wedges. It suddenly feels much more like something you have made for company.
Make it vegetarian: Leave out the chicken and add chickpeas, edamame, lentils or crumbled feta. Roasted cauliflower would also be beautiful here.
Use what you have: Asparagus, green beans, peas or broad beans would all be right at home. This isn't meant to be a salad that sends you back to the shops for one missing vegetable.
Don't skip rinsing the quinoa: Quinoa naturally has a coating called saponin, which can taste slightly bitter. A really good rinse makes a noticeable difference.

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