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Chicken, Pesto, and Quinoa Bowl

A bowl with quinoa, chicken breast, pesto, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and arugula. A fresh and filling lunch option without a heavy sauce.

Time
35 min
Serving
754 kcal
Ingredients
≈ 3,37 €
Protein
60 g
Chicken, Pesto, and Quinoa Bowl

Ingredients

1
  1. 1 Chicken breast filletpack 800 g ≈ 8,10 € 165 g
  2. 2 Quinoapack 500 g ≈ 3,19 € 60 g
  3. 3 Pesto 25 g
  4. 4 Cherry tomatoespack 250 g ≈ 1,47 € 90 g
  5. 5 Mozzarellapack 125 g ≈ 0,89 € 55 g
  6. 6 Arugulapack 100 g ≈ 1,31 € 30 g
  7. 7 Olive oil 6 ml
  8. 8 Salt 2 g
  9. 9 Ground black pepper 1 g

Grey rows are pantry staples: salt, oil, spices. They are not counted in the serving price.

Method

  1. Rinse the quinoa2, cover with 130 ml water, add 1 g salt, and cook for 15 minutes until tender and the grains have opened.

  2. Season the chicken1 with salt and pepper and brush with olive oil.

  3. Sear the chicken1 in a skillet for 5–6 minutes on each side until golden and the juices run clear.

  4. Halve the cherry4 tomatoes, dice the mozzarella5, and pat the arugula6 dry.

  5. Mix the hot quinoa2 with half of the pesto.

  6. Spread the quinoa2 in a bowl as the base, then arrange the sliced chicken1, cherry4 tomatoes, mozzarella5, and arugula6 in sections.

  7. Dot the remaining pesto over the bowl in small spoonfuls.

Tips

Why it works
Rinse the quinoa to remove the bitterness and keep the grains from turning tough after cooking. Overcooked quinoa turns mushy and loses its structure.
Substitutions
Instead of cherry tomatoes, take 90 g cherry tomatoes or 80 g bell pepper cut into cubes. Replace the mozzarella with 50 g feta for a sharper taste.
Common mistakes
The chicken will be dry if you don't let it rest for 3–5 minutes under foil after frying. Check with a fork: the juice should run clear.
Storing and reheating
Keep in the fridge for 2 days. Reheat in the microwave for 1–2 minutes, covering the plate. Add fresh pesto just before eating.
Serve with
Serve with a slice of wholegrain bread, or for breakfast as a hearty salad with 1 boiled egg.

In short

  • Marked healthy: the planner picks it more often for the goals “lose weight” and “eat well”.

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