Chicken & Farro Herb Salad
Chicken & Farro Herb Salad
With tons of fresh herbs, arugula, olives and farro, this healthy chicken salad recipe makes a wonderful potluck platter or healthy dinner. We love the nutty flavor and quick cooking time of farro but other whole grains, such as freekeh, bulgur or couscous, are also good choices.
Ingredients
Red-Wine Vinaigrette
- ⅓ cup red-wine vinegar
- 1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 small clove garlic minced
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salad
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup farro uncooked
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, trimmed
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 fennel bulb cored and chopped
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 1 cup chopped seeded English cucumber
- ½ cup finely chopped red onion
- ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- ¼ cup fresh basil very thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh mint very thinly sliced
- 2 cups arugula tough stems removed, coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup oil-cured black olives sliced
Instructions
Prepare Vinaigrette
- Whisk vinegar, mustard, garlic, ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl.
- Whisk in oil.
Prepare Farro
- Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan.
- Add farro, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until just tender, 15 to 25 minutes.
- Drain; transfer the farro to a large bowl.
- Toss ⅓ cup of the vinaigrette with the warm farro; let stand until cool.
Grill Chicken
- Preheat grill to medium-high.
- Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
- Oil the grill rack (see Tip).
- Grill the chicken, turning once or twice, until cooked through, 12 to 16 minutes.
- Let cool 5 minutes and slice.
Putting It All Together
- Stir fennel, carrot, cucumber, onion, parsley, basil, mint and ⅓ cup vinaigrette into the farro.
- Just before serving, stir arugula into the farro mixture.
- Serve topped with the chicken and olives, drizzled with the remaining vinaigrette.
Notes
Found online at: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/252735/chicken-farro-herb-salad/
Tips
- Prepare through Step 3; refrigerate the dressed farro and the remaining vinaigrette in separate containers for up to 2 days.
- Bring to room temperature before finishing the salad.
- Oiling a grill rack before you grill helps prevent foods from sticking.
- Once the grill is heated, oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack.
- Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.