If you're looking for a lunch that's fresh, filling and full of flavour, this Chicken, Pumpkin & Pesto Brown Rice Salad is one to add to your weekly rotation.
Juicy chicken, sweet roasted pumpkin, brown rice, creamy feta, peppery greens and crunchy pumpkin seeds are brought together with basil pesto and a squeeze of fresh lemon.
It's colourful, satisfying and ready in just 15 minutes.
Why we love this Chicken, Pumpkin & Pesto Brown Rice Salad
There's a lot to love about a lunch that has a little bit of everything.
You've got chicken for protein, brown rice and pumpkin for carbohydrates, plenty of greens, and delicious fats from the pesto, feta and pumpkin seeds.
But beyond what's in it, this is simply a really good lunch.
The sweetness of the roasted pumpkin works beautifully with the salty feta and basil pesto, the rocket gives it a little peppery bite and the pumpkin seeds add that all-important crunch.
Chicken, Pumpkin & Pesto Brown Rice Salad Recipe
Total time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2
Meal: Lunch
Dietary: Gluten-free
Ingredients
- 250g chicken breast or tenderloins, diced
- 2 cups roasted pumpkin
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1 large handful baby spinach, finely chopped
- 1 large handful rocket, finely chopped
- ½ red onion, finely sliced
- 4 tbsp basil pesto
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 40g reduced-fat feta, crumbled
- Fresh basil leaves, to serve
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Method
- Season the chicken with freshly cracked black pepper and cook in a lightly greased frying pan over medium heat for 5–6 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Alternatively, cook the chicken in the air fryer. Transfer to a plate and allow it to rest for five minutes before slicing.
- Add the brown rice, roasted pumpkin, spinach, rocket, red onion and chicken to a bowl.
- Dollop the basil pesto over the top and finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
- Sprinkle over the pumpkin seeds and crumbled feta, add another crack of black pepper and serve immediately.
A lunch that gives you more than just protein
Protein gets plenty of attention when we talk about eating well, and for good reason. It supports muscle and helps make meals more satisfying.
But we don't want protein to be the only thing on your plate.
This salad pairs chicken with brown rice, roasted pumpkin, leafy greens, pesto, feta and pumpkin seeds to create a much more complete meal.
The brown rice and pumpkin bring carbohydrates to help fuel your body and your day, while the greens add colour and variety. Then you've got the pesto, feta and pumpkin seeds making the whole thing taste delicious.
Because food isn't just about hitting a protein target.
We want meals that nourish us, give us energy and make us excited to eat.
A beautiful combination for perimenopause
This recipe was created as a nourishing, protein-rich lunch with fibre and healthy fats to support muscle, bone and overall health during perimenopause.
And that's something we want to put more emphasis on during this stage of life: adding nourishment, not simply taking food away.
Rather than asking what you should cut out, think about what you can put onto your plate.
A source of protein. Fibre-rich foods. Colourful vegetables. Carbohydrates. Nourishing fats.
This bowl brings those pieces together without making lunch feel like another nutrition checklist.
Your questions, answered
Can I prepare this ahead?
Yes. The cooked rice, pumpkin and chicken can make this an easy option to assemble ahead. If you're taking it to work, you may prefer to add the pesto, lemon and finishing ingredients closer to serving.
Can I cook the chicken in the air fryer?
Yes. The original recipe specifically gives the air fryer as an alternative to pan-frying the chicken.
Why brown rice?
Brown rice adds carbohydrates to the bowl alongside the pumpkin and helps turn the salad into a more substantial lunch. The recipe also describes it as part of a fibre-rich meal.
Is this only for women in perimenopause?
No. While this recipe was designed with perimenopause nutrition in mind, it's simply a colourful, balanced lunch made with everyday ingredients.
A lunch worth making on repeat
Eating well doesn't have to mean another plain chicken salad.
It can look like sweet roasted pumpkin, fluffy brown rice, juicy chicken, creamy feta and a generous spoonful of pesto.
It can be colourful.
It can be satisfying.
And it can taste really, really good.
This Chicken, Pumpkin & Pesto Brown Rice Salad is exactly the kind of meal we love at TRANSFORM: simple enough for real life, nourishing enough to support your body and delicious enough that you'll actually look forward to lunch.
