Health is Wealth is exactly what this veggie packed, crisp and refreshing salad tastes like. It’s filled with thinly shaved colorful veggies, tender lemon garlic chicken, and a simple lemon fig vinaigrette. You’ll be left loving the combination of textures and flavors, and feeling GREAT.
My partner Shiping is a strong believer in the saying “health is wealth,” and this salad tastes exactly like that. Every bite is filled with crisp veggies, and you just know this meal is filled with nutrition.
When I first met Shiping, he would eat tasteless salads for nutrition. Imagine a bowl of 15+ ingredients, and the dressing was just extra virgin olive oil. I love healthy foods, but I personally could NEVER eat something that doesn’t taste decently good.
That being said, this bowl is far from tasteless. The overall essence is clean and refreshing, but there are pops of flavor from the vinaigrette, savory chicken breast, crunchy multigrain seed crackers, and truffle goat cheese.
If you want to look forward to healthy, nutritious, and delicious lunches throughout the week, this recipe is for you.
FAQ – Health is Wealth Salad
Q: Can I use another type of jam instead of fig jam?
A: Absolutely! I used fig jam because it’s what I had on hand, but you can use any jam you have. Strawberry, blueberry, apricot, would all be great options here.
Q: What can I use if I don’t have a mandolin?
A: If you prefer, you can cut the vegetables as thinly as possible with a knife. The reason why you want super thin pieces is to create a texture that feels light and crisp versus dense and crunchy. Crunchy is also ok, but I love the light and crisp texture the thin vegetables create.
Q: Can I prepare this salad ahead of time?
A: Yes – feel free to follow the tips below on how I recommend storing the prepared ingredients. The most important part is to keep the dressing separate from the salad until RIGHT before eating.
Romaine Lettuce and Kale – wash, dry, then cut. Store in a plastic bag with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture.
Quinoa – cook, cool, and store in a tupperware container. This can be stored with the cooked chicken.
Radish, cucumbers, carrots – wash, dry, and thinly cut with a mandolin. Store in a tupperware container with a paper towel (these can all be in the same container).
Lemon Garlic Chicken – marinate, cook, cut, and store in a tupperware container. You can also keep this marinating for up to 5 days and cook this fresh before serving.
Lemon Fig Vinaigrette – store in a glass container either on the counter for 5 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Step by Step Instructions:
1. Cook the quinoa – add the ¾ cup of raw white quinoa to a pot. Toast for a few seconds on high heat, then add 1.5 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Make sure to measure the water using a liquid measuring cup, or just reduce the water amount by a few tablespoons to ensure you don’t get mushy quinoa. Bring up to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes. Once cooked, remove the lid and fluff.
2. Marinate the chicken. Make the lemon garlic chicken marinade in a bowl, mix the chicken with this, and let sit while you wash the vegetables and make the vinaigrette.
3. Wash, dry, and prep the vegetables – chop the romaine and kale. Then use a mandolin or very thinly slice the carrot, cucumbers, radish, and celery.
4. Make the lemon fig vinaigrette. Combine everything in a glass jar or bowl. Taste, adjust seasonings as desired, and set aside.
5. Cook the chicken – sear in a cast iron or pan for ~3-4 minutes on each side. You can also cook this however you prefer to cook chicken (ex. Air fryer, oven, etc).
6. Once the chicken is cooked, dice into ½” pieces.
7. Assemble each salad – lay down a bed of romaine, and top with a handful of thinly sliced vegetables (about ½ cup of the thinly cut vegetables). Add 1⁄3 cup of cooked quinoa, ½ cup of diced chicken, and 4-5 crushed multigrain crackers. Add a drizzle of dressing, taste, adjust with more dressing as desired, and serve.
VIDEO TUTORIAL:
Health is Wealth Salad
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Health is Wealth is exactly what this veggie packed, crisp and refreshing salad tastes like. It’s filled with thinly shaved colorful veggies, tender lemon garlic chicken, and a simple lemon fig vinaigrette. You’ll be left loving the combination of textures and flavors, and feeling GREAT.
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 head of dino kale, de stemmed and chopped
- 3/4 cup white quinoa
- 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced with a mandolin
- 2 persian cucumbers, cut into thin half moons
- 2 stalks of celery, thinly sliced with a mandolin
- 2 radishes, thinly sliced with a mandolin
- 4 ounces of goat cheese (optional truffle infused Vermont Creamery goat cheese)
- 15 Multigrain crackers
For the Lemon Garlic Chicken:
- 1.5 lbs chicken tenders
- 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- Black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the lemon fig vinaigrette:
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of fig jam
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa – add the ¾ cup of raw white quinoa to a pot. Toast for a few seconds on high heat, then add 1.5 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Make sure to measure the water using a liquid measuring cup, or just reduce the water amount by a few tablespoons to ensure you don’t get mushy quinoa. Bring up to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes. Once cooked, remove the lid and fluff.
- Marinate the chicken. Make the lemon garlic chicken marinade in a bowl, mix the chicken with this, and let sit while you wash the vegetables and make the vinaigrette.
- Wash, dry, and prep the vegetables – chop the romaine and kale. Then use a mandolin or very thinly slice the carrot, cucumbers, radish, and celery.
- Make the lemon fig vinaigrette. Combine everything in a glass jar or bowl. Taste, adjust seasonings as desired, and set aside.
- Cook the chicken – sear in a cast iron or pan for ~3-4 minutes on each side. You can also cook this however you prefer to cook chicken (ex. Air fryer, oven, etc).
- Once the chicken is cooked, dice into ½” pieces.
- Assemble each salad – lay down a bed of romaine, and top with a handful of thinly sliced vegetables (about ½ cup of the thinly cut vegetables). Add 1⁄3 cup of cooked quinoa, ½ cup of diced chicken, and 4-5 crushed multigrain crackers. Add a drizzle of dressing, taste, adjust with more dressing as desired, and serve.
Equipment
Notes
I loved using the Vermont Creamery Truffle goat cheese in this recipe. However, if you cannot find this or do not prefer truffle, any goat cheese or even feta cheese would be delicious in this recipe.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: American
If you liked this Health is Wealth Salad:
- Quinoa Meal Prep
- Italian Inspired Quinoa Bowls with Herby Balsamic Chicken, Mozzarella, Zucchini, and Roasted Red Peppers
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