June 12, 2018

Chicken and Vegetable Farro Salad

Chicken and Vegetable Farro Salad. Roasted or grilled chicken and vegetables, mixed together with farro, fresh herbs, and a tangy lemon vinaigrette.

I love summer. I love being able to be outside, I love wearing shorts, I love that my kids can play outside, I love pools, I love the happiness that comes from soaking in the sun, and I love grilling. Summer is amazing. As soon as it starts getting warm, I start a list of things that I want to grill (aka a list of things I put together and ask my husband to actually grill). This chicken and vegetable farro salad is one of the first on my list.

I have this fantastic recipe app, Paprika (no, I don’t get any sort of commission if you buy it, I just really like it), that saves my recipes and helps me meal plan. I had this recipe on my meal plan for last week. I imagined our family being outside in the sun and eating this tasty little meal. Then every night I wanted to make it, it rained too hard to grill. Finally, we were on our last night of food before the chicken expired and we had to go grocery shopping, and low and behold, it rained. It’s okay though, because this recipe totally works in the oven, and I can now share with you both ways to cook it: oven and grill. Win, Win!

As I was photographing this recipe, my one year old kept coming to take bites. I would put in her the living room, then run back across the house to take pictures. She’s a fast little thing though, and persistent, so she kept returning for more bites. Finally, I went with it and let her stay in a few photos … it goes to show how family friendly this recipe can be!

Chicken and Vegetable Farro Salad

Farro mixed with fresh, chopped herbs and a tangy lemon vinaigrette. Topped with roasted or grilled chicken and vegetables.

5 from 3 votes

Course: Main Course

Servings: servings

Calories: 568

Ingredients

Lemon Vinaigrette

zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp honey
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 cup olive oil

Chicken and Vegetables

2 pounds chicken breast
1 red onion sliced into chunks
1 pound mini sweet peppers about 15 mini peppers, seeds removed and cut in half
3 vine ripe tomatoes cut into forths
~2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 cup parsley chopped finely
1/2 cup basil leaves torn into small pieces
1 tbsp fresh thyme chopped
1 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped

Farro

1 1/2 cups dry farro
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Lemon Vinaigrette

In a small bowl, mix together first 9 ingredients. Once well combined, whisk in olive oil.

Chicken

If breasts are thick, slice in half so that are they are about 1/2" to 3/4" thick. Place chicken in a large container with lid. Pour 1/2 cup lemon vinaigrette over chicken. Set remaining vinaigrette aside.
Place chicken in fridge for at least 1 hour.
To Cook: Grill Method: Remove chicken from marinade and grill until cooked through. Oven Method: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line baking pan with aluminum foil so that edges are folded up, allowing juices to stay around chicken. Place chicken with juices on prepared pan and bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Vegetables

Place onion, tomatoes, and mini peppers in large bowls. Toss with about 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. To Cook: Grill Method: Place on foil lined grill pan and grill until desired tenderness (about 15 minutes with grill on 450 degrees), tossing about half way through. Oven Method: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line baking baking pan with aluminum foil and silicone baking mat. Spread vegetables in single layer on prepared pan. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Toss about half way through baking time.

Farro

In a medium sized pot, bring 3 cups water, salt, garlic, pepper, and olive oil to a boil. Stir in farro. Reduce heat to low, cover, and allow to simmer for 25-35 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.

Assembly:

In a large bowl, toss together farro with parsley, basil, thyme, and rosemary.
Cut chicken into slices or bite size chunks. Stir, with it's juices, into farro mixture.
Stir vegetables and remaining vinaigrette into farro and chicken mixture.