Make the most of radishes, sugar snap peas and fresh mint by adding quick-cooking quinoa and rotisserie chicken to this Spring Garden Salad. A perky pepper jelly dressing pulls it all together creating a vibrant spring entree.
Dinner from the Spring Garden
The spring garden is a joyful one. As the earth warms the first plants that push their way out into the fresh air get a lot of hopeful attention. At this time of year we check the garden often. We wait expectantly for new growth and the early signs of produce we can bring to the table.
Radishes, with their short growing cycle, are among the first to be welcomed. They are anticipated for their cheerful color and perky flavor. Soon sugar snap peas hang temptingly from their eager vines ready to add crisp texture to our plate. New spring onions and fragrant leaves of mint are also at their tender best this time of year.
While delighted by these beautiful spring vegetables, they also challenge me. I wonder how to make the most of them at the table. Radishes add a pretty touch to a side salad, but how do I take full advantage of their sudden abundance? Sugar snap peas are a delicious spring side dish but, when I just have a few, what do I pair them with? I love growing mint to garnish spring drinks but how do I use it to add a fresh note to savory dishes?
Using Early Spring Produce
When I found this recipe for a Spring Garden Salad, made with quinoa and rotisserie chicken, it answered so many questions. It’s not the kind of recipe that jumps off the page at first glance. Reading it through, however, I can’t help but feel it is a perfect spring recipe.
What to do with those newly grown radishes? This recipe uses a full cup, sliced to brighten the salad without overwhelming it. Those sugar snap peas that are just coming in? Slice up just 1 ½ cups to add spring color and crunch to this garden fresh salad. Green onions? A medium sized bunch is called for, about 1 cup.
If making good use of my early spring produce weren’t enough to convince me to try this recipe – there is still the dressing. It calls for red pepper jelly, something I often seem to have hanging around from the winter holidays. Some orange juice brightens it up and a little black pepper easily converses with the spicy notes of the radishes and onions.
Beyond that, a batch of quick cooking quinoa and some shredded rotisserie chicken finish off this main dish salad in a flash. The result is pretty, fresh and just sings of spring. Serve with crusty bread, roasted zucchini or asparagus, and maybe add some oatmeal cookies for dessert.
Enjoy!
Spring Garden Salad with Chicken and Quinoa
Course: MainCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings15
minutes41
minutesA main dish salad that makes the most of radishes, peas, green onions and mint fresh from a spring garden.
Ingredients
2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
2 Tablespoons fresh mint, divided
1/4 cup fresh orange juice, from 1 medium orange
3Tablespoons red pepper jelly
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces fresh sugar snap peas, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
4 small radishes (or 1 small bunch of radishes), sliced (1 cup)
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
Directions
- Place water and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for ten minutes. Turn heat off, leaving the covered saucepan on the burner for another 4 minutes. Remove the cover, fluff the quinoa with a fork and allow to cool.
- Set aside about 3 Tablespoons of green pieces from the thinly sliced green onions along with about 1/2 Tablespoon of the chopped mint.
- In a glass jar, combine the orange juice, red pepper jelly, pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Screw the top on the jar and shake until combined. Add the olive oil and again secure the top and shake until emulsified. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together quinoa, snap peas, radishes, green onions, feta, 1 1/2 Tablespoons of mint and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt. Pour 1/2 cup of the dressing over the quinoa mixture. Lightly toss to combine.
- Transfer salad to a platter. Top with chicken. Drizzle with remaining 1/4 cup of dressing. Scatter remaining green onions and chopped mint over all.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Recipe Source: Clipped from the May 2021 issue of Southern Living.
