Watercress, Chicken, and Feta Quinoa Bowl

Name: Watercress, Chicken, and Feta Quinoa Bowl
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: ½ garlic clove, peeled and minced; 5 oz watercress; 2 oz fresh spinach; 2 oz fresh rocket (arugula); ½ Zest of ½ lemon; 6 oz quinoa; 2 cups chicken stock; 8.8 oz cooked roasted chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces; 45 unsalted cashew nuts; 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided; 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling; Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste; 4 oz crumbled feta cheese

Recipe GLPRf637bbda9ea9f3

Mediterranean

Main Course

25 min

609 cal

Servings: 4

Stovetop

SNAP eligible

A vibrant Mediterranean-inspired grain bowl featuring fluffy quinoa simmered in chicken stock, tossed with a fresh watercress and herb paste, tender roasted chicken, and toasted cashews. Finished with tangy feta cheese for a balanced, nutrient-dense main course.

Save recipes you love

Create a free Grocery List Plus account to save recipes, rate them, and add every ingredient to your grocery list in one tap.

Create free account Sign in

Ingredients

½ garlic clove, peeled and minced

5 oz watercress

2 oz fresh spinach

2 oz fresh rocket (arugula)

½ Zest of ½ lemon

6 oz quinoa

2 cups chicken stock

8.8 oz cooked roasted chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces

45 unsalted cashew nuts

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 oz crumbled feta cheese

Directions

Mince the garlic clove finely. Place it in a food processor along with the watercress, fresh spinach, rocket, and lemon zest. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Pulse until the mixture becomes a coarse, vibrant green paste. Set aside.
Rinse the quinoa under cold running water until the water runs clear. Transfer to a medium saucepan and add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for 15 minutes until the quinoa is tender and fluffy and the liquid is fully absorbed.
Remove the cooked quinoa from the heat and let it rest for 1 minute. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and add the watercress paste. Stir well to combine, breaking up any clumps and evenly distributing the green paste throughout the warm quinoa.
Fold the roasted chicken pieces and unsalted cashew nuts into the quinoa mixture. Mix gently but thoroughly to ensure everything is well combined.
Taste the mixture and season generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to your preference.
Divide the quinoa mixture among four serving bowls. Top each bowl with a generous portion of crumbled feta cheese and drizzle lightly with the remaining olive oil. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4.25

Watercress is the real constraint here—it's not a Harris Teeter or Food Lion staple in Charlotte, so you're likely looking at a Whole Foods trip or a specialty produce stop, which adds friction to a weeknight meal. The rest of the ingredients are standard across Harris Teeter, ALDI, Kroger, and Walmart, and cost-per-serving lands around $3.50–$4.00 when you factor in quinoa, chicken, and feta. The 25-minute claim assumes pre-cooked chicken or rotisserie poultry; if you're cooking raw chicken, add 15 minutes, which matters on a Tuesday. The dish itself is unfussy and makes solid leftovers (reheats well in a bowl with a splash of lemon and olive oil), making it genuinely useful for meal prep, but the watercress hunt prevents this from being a true grab-and-go weeknight choice.