Tired of dinner decisions? Enjoy a 14 day trial to our meal plan service, voted #1 by Lifehacker, and reduce your mental load today.

< Back
Week of 7/18/22

Grilled Chicken and Arugula Salad
with farro / plums / feta / basil vinaigrette

Active: 45 Total: 65
Original GF Paleo Vegetarian
Grilled Chicken and Arugula Salad

Nothing says summer like a colorful entree salad that includes savory ingredients with fresh fruit for some natural sweetness.
Smarts: Make a double batch of farro tonight to use again in Thursday's saute. 
Cooking methods: This recipe includes instructions for using the grill or stovetop. Select your preferred method.

Tags
Grill Friendly, Entree Salad
Proteins
Chicken, non-ground
Cuisines
American
Save recipe
60

Ingredients

Metric
Servings:
4
Farro:
  • Farro, semi-pearled / husked and uncooked - 3/4 cup
Basil Vinaigrette (for marinade and dressing):
  • Basil, fresh - 10 leaves
  • Shallots - 1 clove , diced
  • Vinegar, balsamic - 5 Tbsp
  • Lemon juice - 1 Tbsp
  • Mustard, Dijon - 1 tsp
  • Honey - 1 tsp
  • Oil, cooking - 1/2 cup
Grilled Chicken Salad:
  • Chicken breasts, boneless and skinless - 1 lb , halved to thin
  • Basil Vinaigrette (ingredients listed separately) - 1/3 cup + 1/3 cup
  • Plums - 2 , sliced
  • Cucumbers - 8 oz , chopped
  • Cheese, feta - 5 oz , cubed
  • Baby arugula - 10 oz
  • Pistachios, shelled - 1/3 cup

Choose Cooking Method

Prep

  1. Cook farro - (Double if making Thursday’s meal; if prepping right before cooking, get grill heating and chicken marinating while farro cooks.) Bring a saucepan of water to boil. Give it a generous sprinkle of salt and add farro. If you bought semi-pearled or husked farro, it should take about 25 minutes to cook until al dente, tender but not soggy. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)

  2. Make vinaigrette - Finely chop basil and shallots (if you want to use a blender for this vinaigrette, you can leave them in larger pieces). Whisk together basil, shallots, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, and honey. Add cooking oil while whisking. (Or just blend everything together.) (Can be done up to 5 days ahead).

  3. Halve chicken - Slice chicken in half lengthwise to thin. (Can be done 1 day ahead)

  4. Marinate chicken - Combine chicken with half the vinaigrette (reserve the other half for dressing) and tenderize with a fork. Marinate for at least 20 minutes and up to a day. (Can be done 1 day ahead)

  5. Plums / Cucumbers / Feta - Prep as directed.

Unlock this meal along with hundreds of smart meal plans and never stress about "What's for dinner?" again

Try for free
Learn More

Make

  1. Preheat grill to 400F / 204C degrees, keeping one section on higher heat and another section on lower heat. Clean and brush grates with some oil.

  2. Remove chicken from marinade (discard marinade). Season chicken on both sides with some salt and pepper.

  3. Sear chicken for 2 to 3 minutes on each side and transfer to lower heat. Cook until internal temperature reaches 165F / 74C degrees, an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

  4. When chicken is finished cooking, cover and let it rest for 5 minutes.

  5. If farro was made ahead, reheat in the microwave just to take the chill off. (Reserve half if doubled.)

  6. Assemble salad with a bed of arugula. Top with farro, plums, cucumbers, feta, and pistachios. Drizzle second half of dressing over top until dressed to your liking.

  7. Slice chicken and serve on top of salad. Enjoy!

Prep

  1. Cook farro - (Double if making Thursday’s meal; if prepping right before cooking, get chicken marinating while farro cooks.) Bring a saucepan of water to boil. Give it a generous sprinkle of salt and add farro. If you bought semi-pearled or husked farro, it should take about 25 minutes to cook until al dente, tender but not soggy. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)

  2. Make vinaigrette - Finely chop basil and shallots (if you want to use a blender for this vinaigrette, you can leave them in larger pieces). Whisk together basil, shallots, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, and honey. Add cooking oil while whisking. (Or just blend everything together.) (Can be done up to 5 days ahead).

  3. Halve chicken - Slice chicken in half lengthwise to thin. (Can be done 1 day ahead)

  4. Marinate chicken - Combine chicken with half the vinaigrette (reserve the other half for dressing) and tenderize with a fork. Marinate for at least 20 minutes and up to a day. (Can be done 1 day ahead)

  5. Plums / Cucumbers / Feta - Prep as directed.

Unlock this meal along with hundreds of smart meal plans and never stress about "What's for dinner?" again

Try for free
Learn More

Make

  1. Remove chicken from marinade (discard marinade). Season chicken on both sides with some salt and pepper.

  2. Place a grill pan or skillet over medium heat. Brush pan with some oil and sear chicken on both sides for 2 to 3 minutes. Lower heat to low-medium, cover with foil or a lid, and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 165F / 74C degrees.

  3. When chicken is finished cooking, cover and let it rest for 5 minutes.

  4. If farro was made ahead, reheat in the microwave just to take the chill off. (Reserve half if doubled.)

  5. Assemble salad with a bed of arugula. Top with farro, plums, cucumbers, feta, and pistachios. Drizzle second half of dressing over top until dressed to your liking.

  6. Slice chicken and serve on top of salad. Enjoy!

Reviews

Ratings

0 reviews