A simple, gluten-free quinoa salad recipe made with ripe avocados and grilled courgette ribbons. It uses juicy chicken strips that are quickly marinated in a creamy basil yogurt – you can pull the rest of the dish together in 30 minutes for a satisfying desk lunch or easy weeknight dinner
Put the yogurt in a food processor with half the basil. Blitz to a smooth paste and season with black pepper. Put the chicken breasts in a shallow container and add the basil yogurt. Stir to coat and leave to marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Cook the quinoa according to the instructions on the packet. Leave to cool. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a grill pan. Grill the courgette slices for a couple of minutes each side and set aside to cool.
Add the remaining olive oil to a large frying pan and fry the chicken slices for 8-10 minutes, or until golden and cooked through, turning once in between. Leave to rest.
Mix the extra virgin oil with the lemon zest and juice and season to taste. Toss the dressing through the quinoa, along with the avocado, grilled courgettes and the remaining basil. Divide between 4 bowls. Top each quinoa bowl with the chicken and almonds.