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Home » lunch

Chicken, Roasted Veggie, and Pesto Salad Bowls

Published: May 28, 2018 · Modified: Jun 21, 2018 by Kit · This post may contain affiliate links · 6 Comments

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I have been trying to find ways to incorporate more vegetables into my meals, and these Chicken, Roasted Veggie, and Pesto Salad Bowls are a delicious way of doing just that. This is a great weekday lunch recipe that is perfect for meal-prepping. 

Pesto Salad Bowls are made with fresh baby spinach, quinoa, roasted tomatoes, roasted broccoli, diced chicken, parmesan, and pesto. I like to mix everything together and get a bit of everything all at once. You could also opt to put all of the ingredients into a wrap.

Pesto Salad Bowls are made with fresh baby spinach, quinoa, roasted tomatoes, roasted broccoli, diced chicken, parmesan, and pesto

These Pesto Salad Bowls were inspired by Charles getting the wrong order at his go-to lunch place where he gets takeout. The accident led to Charles discovering a new lunch option, and he told me all about it and suggested that I recreate the salad at home. Charles was confident that my version would be even better.

Pesto Salad Bowls are made with fresh baby spinach, quinoa, roasted tomatoes, roasted broccoli, diced chicken, parmesan, and pesto. Perfect for meal prep!

I looked up the pesto salad bowl on the menu at the restaurant, and they didn't involve many ingredients - just spinach, quinoa, chicken, pesto, and parmesan. I decided to add roasted tomatoes and roasted broccoli to the salad bowls to add extra flavor and more veggies. The roasted tomatoes a nice burst of flavor, and they pair so well with the other ingredients. I added roasted broccoli just because I love it and I wanted to add another vegetable, and it adds a fresh crunch.

Pesto Salad Bowls are made with fresh baby spinach, quinoa, roasted tomatoes, roasted broccoli, diced chicken, parmesan, and pesto

This meal lends itself well to meal-prep. I prepared four pesto salad bowls and individually packaged them up so that my weekday lunches were ready to go. Preparing multiple lunches at once saves me time since the preparation time for four salads is almost the same as preparing one salad. It also saves makes my work days more productive since I can quickly grab lunch and get back to work.

To save time, I used a rotisserie chicken and diced up the meat. I used a homemade pesto, but you can use your favorite store-bought pesto if you want to save time.

How to make Pesto Salad Bowls:

Pesto Salad Bowls are made with fresh baby spinach, quinoa, roasted tomatoes, roasted broccoli, diced chicken, parmesan, and pesto

Pesto Salad Bowls

Pesto Salad Bowls are made with fresh baby spinach, quinoa, roasted tomatoes, roasted broccoli, diced chicken, parmesan, and pesto. I like to mix everything together and get a bit of everything all at once. You could also opt to put all of the ingredients into a wrap.
Print Pin Rate
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 Head of Broccoli
  • 1 cup of Grape or Cherry Tomatoes sliced in half
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • Sea Salt
  • 1 cup of Quinoa
  • 1 cup of Water
  • 1 cup of Vegetable Broth
  • 2 cups diced Chicken
  • ½ cup Grated Parmesan
  • 2 cups of Baby Spinach
  • about ⅓ cup of Pesto

Instructions

  • Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Chop the broccoli into small florets. You can either season it with pesto, or melted butter, salt, and pepper. Place the florets in a bowl, add your seasoning of choice, and stir to evenly coat the broccoli. Arrange on the baking sheet, leaving half of the space for the tomatoes.
  • Place the tomatoes on the baking sheet beside the broccoli. Drizzle with olive oil and top with sea salt.
  • Let the broccoli and tomatoes roast for 35-40 minutes. You want the broccoli to be al dente.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the quinoa. Combine the water, vegetable broth, and quinoa in a saucepan. Bring to a bowl, then cover and reduce to a simmer. After about 20 minutes the liquid will have absorbed and the quinoa will be light and fluffy. Note: I like to use a 50/50 mix of water and vegetable broth to add more flavor to the quinoa.
  • Once the quinoa is done and the vegetables have been roasted, it is time to assemble the salads. If you are not going to eat the salad right away, you want to let everything cool before assembling so that the spinach won't wilt.
  • This recipe serves 4, so get four bowls or four containers. Layer the spinach, quoinoa, roasted tomatoes, roasted broccoli, diced chicken, and parmesan, dividing it between the containers. Top with pesto.

Notes

This meal lends itself well to meal-prep. I prepared four pesto salad bowls and individually packaged them up so that my weekday lunches were ready to go. Preparing multiple lunches at once saves me time since the preparation time for four salads is almost the same as preparing one salad. It also saves makes my work days more productive since I can quickly grab lunch and get back to work. To save time, I used a rotisserie chicken and diced up the meat. I used a homemade pesto, but you can use your favorite store-bought pesto if you want to save time.

Chicken, Roasted Veggie, and Pesto Salad Bowls are a great weekday lunch recipe that is perfect for meal-prepping. 

More lunch

  • Make Ahead Mediterranean Salad
  • Are We Saving Money By Making Lunch At Home?
  • These incredibly delicious Superfood Salad Bowls with crispy chicken, beets, butternut squash, rice, goat cheese, and ranch dressing are a delicious way to pack vegetables into your meal.
    Superfood Salad Bowls with Crispy Chicken
  • Lunch Prep with O Organics Essentials

Comments

  1. Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says

    June 08, 2018 at 12:55 pm

    Sounds fantastic - and looks amazing too. Thanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner Party - Hope to see you again next week!
    Reply
    • thekittchen says

      June 18, 2018 at 4:10 pm

      I have been eating this on repeat!
      Reply
  2. Miz Helen says

    June 12, 2018 at 4:19 pm

    We will love your delicious Chicken and Roasted Veggie Salad! Hope you are having a great week and thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday! Miz Helen
    Reply
    • thekittchen says

      June 18, 2018 at 4:09 pm

      Thanks so much!
      Reply
  3. Jann Olson says

    June 14, 2018 at 2:51 am

    I love pesto, and this salad looks like the perfect summer recipe!! Thanks for sharing with SYC. hugs, Jann
    Reply
    • thekittchen says

      June 18, 2018 at 4:09 pm

      Pesto is the best, isn't it?!
      Reply

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