Chicken, Orzo, and Spinach Chopped Salad
with feta / balsamic vinaigrette

Name: Chicken, Orzo, and Spinach Chopped Salad
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 clove Shallots, diced; 1 1/2 Tbsp Vinegar, balsamic; 2 tsp Lemon juice; 1 tsp Mustard, Dijon; 2 tsp Honey; 1/4 cup Oil, cooking; 8 oz Pasta, orzo (sub any small pasta shape); 1 lb Chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cubed; 5 oz Baby spinach, chopped; 1 1/2 cups Tomatoes, cherry or grape, halved; 1/4 cup Pine nuts (sub pepitas or chopped pecans); 1 Tbsp Oil, cooking; 2 tsp Vinegar, balsamic; 4 oz Cheese, feta, crumbled

Active: 35 min Total: 35 min

Original GF Paleo Vegetarian

Chicken, Orzo, and Spinach Chopped Salad

With a variety of flavors and textures tossed in a tangy vinaigrette, the last bite of this chopped salad is as satisfying as the first.
Smarts: The salad can be served at any temperature, so make it ahead and / or pack leftovers for lunch.

Ingredients

Metric

Servings:

Balsamic Vinaigrette:

Shallots - 1 clove , diced
Vinegar, balsamic - 1 1/2 Tbsp
Lemon juice - 2 tsp
Mustard, Dijon - 1 tsp
Honey - 2 tsp
Oil, cooking - 1/4 cup

Chicken, Orzo, and Spinach Chopped Salad:

Pasta, orzo - 8 oz (sub any small pasta shape)
Chicken breasts, boneless and skinless - 1 lb , cubed
Baby spinach - 5 oz , chopped
Tomatoes, cherry or grape - 1 1/2 cups , halved
Pine nuts - 1/4 cup (sub pepitas or chopped pecans)
Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
Vinegar, balsamic - 2 tsp
Cheese, feta - 4 oz , crumbled

Prep

Cook pasta - Cook pasta according to package directions. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Make vinaigrette - Dice shallots. Whisk together shallots, vinegar (portion for vinaigrette), lemon juice, mustard, and honey. Add oil (portion for vinaigrette) while whisking. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Chicken - Slice into cubes. Tenderize with a fork and season with some salt and pepper. (Can be done up to 2 days ahead)
Spinach / Tomatoes - Prep as directed.

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Make

Heat a skillet or wok over medium heat. Add nuts to dry pan and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly toasted, ~3 minutes. Set aside.
Return skillet to heat. Add oil (portion for salad) and then chicken to heated oil. Saute until chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Add vinegar (portion for salad) and saute, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, until vinegar coats chicken, ~1 minute.
Set chicken aside and let it cool slightly while you prepare the rest of the salad.
In a large mixing bowl, combine pasta (no need to heat it up if it was prepared ahead), spinach, tomatoes, and crumbled feta. Add vinaigrette and toss salad until dressed to your liking. Add chicken last and toss everything to combine.
Divide salad between serving plates and top each serving with nuts. Enjoy!

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