This salad screams SPRING, is super flavor-packed, and fresh. This recipe isn’t quite traditional, but it’s absolutely delicious and perfect for a gourmet, healthy, delicious meal.
A couple notes:
- I start off my making the quick pickled kimchi – you’ll want this to sit for as long as possible. It’d be best to have this sit for hours, but I don’t typically have that kind of time for a weeknight dinner, so 20 minutes will do and there will likely be leftovers so you can have an even more flavor-packed version the following day 🙂
- Next, I make and marinate the chicken and start cooking the quinoa. Again, having the chicken sit in the marinade for as long as possible is great, but not absolutely necessary. I usually aim to let it sit for at least 5 minutes – if you have the foresight to marinate it earlier in the week, this should last in the fridge for 3-4 days.
VIDEO TUTORIAL HERE: Honey Gochujang Chicken Salads with Quinoa, Edamame, quick-pickled Cucumber Strawberry Kimchi, and Sesame Vinaigrette VIDEO
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Honey Gochujang Chicken Salads with Quinoa, Edamame, quick-pickled Cucumber Strawberry Kimchi, and Sesame Vinaigrette
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
This salad screams SPRING, is super flavor-packed, and fresh. This recipe isn’t quite traditional, but it’s absolutely delicious and perfect for a gourmet, healthy, delicious meal.
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1.5 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon gochujang
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
For the quick pickled cucumber strawberry kimchi:
- 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons gochugaru
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 10 large lb strawberries, quartered
- 4 Persian cucumbers, cut in half moons
For the sesame vinaigrette:
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
For the Salad
- 2 heads romaine lettuce
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water
- Pinch of salt
- 2 cups shelled edamame
Instructions
- Prep the quick picked kimchi – cut the cucumbers and strawberries. Add the cucumbers to a colander and add large pinch of salt. Let sit for 10 minutes until the water begins to come out. Let the cucumbers drain in the sink while you work on the next step.
- Make the quick pickle marinade by combining the rice vinegar, salt, sugar, gochugaru, and fish sauce. Mix together. Give the cucumbers a rinse to remove the salt, then toss the strawberries and cucumbers with this marinade.
- Make the chicken marinade by combining the gochujang, salt, honey, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Mix until smooth, then and add the chicken to the marinade. Toss, then let sit as you make the quinoa.
- In a small pot, add the 1 cup of quinoa, 2 cups of water, and pinch of kosher salt. Bring up to a boil, then stir and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. When finished, remove the lid, fluff, and let cool.
- Heat a pan on medium high heat then sear the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side (depending on the thickness of the chicken). Flip occasionally to prevent burning and reduce the heat as needed. Feel free to air fry if you prefer.
- As the chicken is cooking, chop the romaine for the salad and make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a glass jar or bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
- Assemble the salad by assembling a bed of the romaine. Top with a few spoonfuls of the cooked quinoa, and then the quick pickled kimchi and edamame. Add a couple spoonfuls of the sesame vinaigrette, then top with the cooked chicken (I like to give this a dice), and enjoy!
Notes
For vegetarian options, feel free to substitute tofu or portobello mushrooms for the chicken.
The quick pickled kimchi will develop flavor over time – eating it fresh and the next day will both be delicious.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: salads
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: californian
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