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Grilled Chicken and Spring Vegetable Farro Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing

Hannah Abaffy
  |   April 30, 2024   |  
Tender grains of farro subtly enhanced with a savory chicken stock create the perfect foundation for a hearty grain bowl topped with crisp, steamed vegetables and grilled chicken. To round out the dish, a creamy tahini dressing brings these ingredients together for a meal that promises the taste of Spring in every bite.

Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Total Time:
Yield: 2

Grilled Chicken and Spring Vegetable Farro Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing

Chicken Breast Marinade

Roast Garlic Tahini Dressing

Farro Salad

Garnish

For the Marinade
  1. Prepare your chicken breasts by trimming any excess fat and removing the skin if necessary, then transfer to a shallow container or large plastic bag. In a bowl, add all the marinade ingredients and whisk until well combined. Pour the marinade over the chicken, turning each piece to be sure it’s fully coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes and up to four hours.
  2. When ready, cook your chicken breast over medium heat for approximately 6-8 minutes on either side or until the chicken registers 165F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the heat and set aside to rest.

For the Dressing
  1. Preheat your oven to 400F. Cut an entire head of garlic crossways horizontally about ¼ -½ inch down from the top. Place on a small piece of aluminum foil before removing the “lid” and drizzling generously with olive oil. Wrap tightly, place on a small pan, and roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the cloves have turned a golden brown and feel soft when pressed. Remove from the oven and cool before slipping them out of their skins.
  2. *While this recipe only requires three cloves of garlic, do yourself a favor and roast an entire head (or more). Roasted garlic offers a delicious, almost caramelized flavor and can be smashed into everything from mashed potatoes to used as the hero ingredient in a simple pasta. Inversely, you can completely skip the roasting step and use fresh garlic; its flavor is more aggressive but pairs well with the other ingredients in the dressing and makes an excellent substitute for the roasted variety.
  3. In a bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients except the water and whisk. Using a spoon, add water slowly until the dressing reaches a smooth, pourable consistency. Set aside.

For the Farro
  1. Combine the farro and chicken stock in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook covered for an additional twenty minutes. Drain any excess liquid and set aside until ready to use.

For the Vegetables
  1. Prepare your vegetables for steaming by washing the asparagus and green beans. Trim the ends of the beans and break off the woody base of each asparagus stock. Chop into roughly 2-inch pieces.
  2. Fill a large pot with about an inch of water or enough to just touch the bottom of your steamer basket. Cover and bring the water to a boil, as soon as the water is up to temperature, add in your prepared vegetables, lower the heat to medium-high, and cook covered for approximately six minutes, or until the beans and asparagus are bright green and just tender. Using the ring in the center of your steamer basket, remove the vegetables from the heat and transfer them to a bowl. Toss with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.

For the Assembly
  1. Build your grain bowl with a foundation of farro, and top with steamed veggies and sliced chicken. Garnish with slices of radish, avocado, and strawberries. Finish with a drizzle of tahini dressing and a sprinkle of sesame seeds, and enjoy!

This recipe is found in:
Recipes by Ingredient: Chicken and Poultry Recipes
Recipes by Course or Meal: Main Courses
Recipes by Cuisine: American Recipes
Recipes by Season: Spring and Summer Recipes

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Author

Hannah Abaffy

Chef-Copywriter-Sultan of Sweets

Working in the hospitality industry for well over a decade, Chef Hannah Abaffy has held every position available in a restaurant kitchen. From line cook to executive pastry chef, she calls on her ten-plus years of work in the field and her culinary degree to write about our gourmet ingredients and craft informational articles and blog posts that will help you elevate everything from a wedge of cheese to a lobe of foie gras.

From working with food every day to writing about it, Hannah is now a contributing author for Gourmet Food Store, along with her work helping restaurants develop recipes and craft menus and running her award-nominated food history blog Milk and Honey.

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