Farro, Chicken, and Avocado Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

Recipe by: Alfred Portale | from Simple Pleasures: Home Cooking from The Gotham Bar and Grill's Acclaimed Chef

Cookstr

Course: Main Course

Total Time: Under 1 Hour

Skill Level: Easy

Cost: Moderate

farro-chicken-and-avocado-salad-with-lime-vinaigrette

Photo by: Joseph De Leo

This recipe uses the Italian grain farro, known in the United States as spelt, which has been popular in Tuscany for centuries and today can be found in many American supermarkets and almost any health food store. Its nutty flavor lends itself to hot and cold applications--you're as apt to find it cooked, cooled, and tossed into a salad as you are to encounter it in farrotto, an alternative to risotto. Don't opt for a smaller grain here: farro's size is crucial to its remaining pleasingly toothsome after it's dressed with the vinaigrette.

Yield: Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

Vinaigrette:

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon minced, seeded jalapeno pepper (about 1 pepper)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Salad:

½ cup farro
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound total)
2 cups Chicken Stock, cold
2 ripe avocados, peeled and sliced lengthwise
1 red bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, cut into small dice
2 heads Boston or Bibb lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
½ cup thinly sliced red onion
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, plus 8 sprigs

Directions

Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, lime juice, jalapeno, and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set it aside.

Bring 1 quart of salted water to a boil in a pot set over high heat. Add the farro and cook until it is tender but still toothsome, about 30 minutes. Strain the farro, transfer it to a bowl, toss it with the oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Put the chicken and stock in a pot, season with salt and pepper, and slowly bring the stock to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer until the chicken is just cooked, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain, reserving the stock for another use, and set the chicken aside.

Thickly slice the chicken crosswise; add the avocado, bell pepper, lettuce, onion, and cilantro leaves to the bowl with the farro. Add the chicken and the vinaigrette. Toss, and transfer the salad to a large serving bowl. Garnish with the cilantro sprigs and serve.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Nutrients per serving (% daily value)

Nutritional information is based on 1/8 teaspoon added salt per serving.

Nutritional information does not include Chicken Stock. For nutritional information on Chicken Stock, please follow the link above.

Calories 661kcal (33%)

Calcium 62mg (6%)

Vitamin C 59mg (98%)

Vitamin A 204mcg RAE (7%)

Potassium 1294mg

Magnesium 106mg

Protein 31g

Sugar 5g