Sunday High Protein Salad

I love making a Sunday Salad for dinner, and this High Protein Salad is the perfect way to have a delicious and satiating meal.

A Note From Teri on Sunday Summer Salad

I love my Sunday Salad! Date Night at Farina’s Supper Club inspired my original viral version of this sumptuous salad several years ago, and it was so amazing that it ignited quite a Sunday Salad kick. This week, I’ve created a high protein version of my Sunday Salad, because these days, I’m all about protein. I was so thrilled this salad has 49 grams of protein per person!

After creating my first one, I was inspired to do a vegan version for my son (which was so good that we served it for Christmas dinner), a Whole30 version, a summer version, and more recently, when my high protein journey began, this high protein salad recipe.

I brought this salad to Roy, who loves all my salads, and he said, “This is the most delicious salad you’ve ever made!” I told him he’d be surprised to find out what’s in the dressing (because he’s not a cottage cheese person). By the way, when you blend cottage cheese in a mini food processor, it tastes sweeter! We don’t understand why.

Ingredients and Variations

For the Dressing:

• Cottage cheese
• Chives
• Basil
• Parsley
• Lemon juice
• Apple cider vinegar
• Shallots
• Garlic cloves
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the Salad:

• Uncooked quinoa
• Chicken broth or bone broth for more protein
• Salad greens of your choice
• Arugula
• Kosher salt
• Chicken breast – we used Sizzling Everyday Roast Chicken Breast but you can also use leftover rotisserie chicken
• California green olives
• Radicchio
• Cherry tomatoes
• Radishes
• Edamame beans
• Cucumber
• Red bell pepper
• Avocado
• Manchego cheese
• Marinated Red Onions

Feel free to substitute whatever vegetables you prefer. You could add green beans, for example. Or you could leave out the vegetables entirely and just do protein.

How to Make This Sunday Summer Salad

Step One: Make the Dressing and the Quinoa

Blend the cottage cheese, chives, basil, parsley, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, shallots, garlic, pinch of salt, and pinch of pepper in a jar with an immersion blender to combine, or use a full sized blender. Add 1/4 cup of water and blend until emulsified. Close the jar with a lid and set aside in the refrigerator.

Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse very well. Add the rinsed quinoa and chicken broth to a medium pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pot, lower the heat to low, and continue cooking for 15-20 minutes or according to package directions. (Because I like my quinoa a little drier, I cook the quinoa for an additional 10 minutes.) Turn the heat off when the quinoa has finished cooking and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes.

Step Two: Assemble the Salad

Place the greens and arugula in a large serving bowl and season with salt. Add the quinoa, chicken, green olives, radicchio, cherry tomatoes, radishes, edamame, cucumber, bell pepper, avocado, manchego, and Marinated Red Onions. Drizzle with ½ cup of dressing and toss well. Divide the salad among four plates or large bowls. Serve with the remaining dressing at the table and enjoy!

Can I Make this Salad Ahead of Time?

Yes! You can prep your ingredients ahead of time and store them in separate airtight containers. I use mason jars. When it’s time to eat, toss everything together and enjoy.

Try These Other High Protein Recipes

• High Protein Greek Chicken Bowl Recipe
• Caprese Chicken Salad
• Deliciously Creamy Salad with Buffalo Chicken
• Teri’s High Protein Favorites

If you make this Sunday High Protein Salad, make sure you rate and review it below! If you’re looking for more inspiration, sign up for our newsletter, and follow along on Pinterest,  Instagram, and TikTok to join in all the fun!

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