Chicken, Farro and Arugula Salad

I’ve often talked about how I find inspiration for the blog from all over the place. Sometimes, I’ll be eating at a restaurant and something on the menu will spark an idea. Or I’ll be perusing the web and come across a certain dish that then will send my mind into a completely new direction with a fun twist. This time around, I got the idea for this Chicken, Farro and Arugula Salad from someone’s instagram story. They posted a picture of a salad they ordered from some restaurant in New York. I had no idea what exactly was in the salad but it looked so good and I knew I immediately wanted to recreate it. I had to study the photo to decipher what was in it. It looked like arugula, farro, croutons, radish, parmesan and the crispiest pan seared chicken. I took it a step further and added some pistachios for a crunch and used thighs instead of breast because I find thighs to be superior in flavor. Added my go-to homemade vinaigrette and then next thing you know, BAM we have the best salad I’ve ever made. Trust me, it’s a keeper.

Season both sides of chicken liberally with salt, pepper, granulated onion, granulated garlic, paprika and oregano.

**Tip: I like to debone the chicken thighs myself with a sharp paring knife because it’s the only way I can have boneless thighs with the skin still on. But if you want to just use skinless boneless thighs (which is what is normally sold in stores) that works too!**

Set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, drizzle in a tablespoon of olive oil and lay the chicken, skin side down, in a single layer. Allow to cook, untouched, until deeply golden brown, about 5 to 8 minutes. Flip over and continue to cook on the second side until the chicken has cooked through, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

Drizzle in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet and add the torn bread pieces. Season lightly with a bit of salt and pepper and cook, tossing often, until the croutons have browned. Remove from the heat and set aside.

**Tip: I like to tear the bread with my hands because it creates a scraggly crouton which I think creates for a better texture than if you were to just slice it with a knife.**

Cook the farro according to the package directions. You want to cook it and allow it to cool completely. You can make this ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until ready to make the salad, but also, you can use barely instead as well.

To make the dressing, combine the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, parmesan, garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt and pepper in a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake vigorously until well combined.

**Note: Again, this can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for several days until ready to use. It’s my go-to salad dressing that I make all the time.**

In a very large bowl, toss together the arugula, farro, radish, tomatoes, shallot, parmesan, pistachio, parsley and basil. Slice the chicken on an angle and add to the bowl.

Add in as much of the dressing to the salad as you’d like and give it a toss, making sure everything is well combined and evenly coated.

Serve it in large bowls and enjoy! It’s a hearty salad on its own but would be a great side salad as well. If you want it as a side but don’t want it so heavy, you can make it without the chicken.

While this salad is best eaten the same day, it wouldn’t be the worst thing to eat the day after. The arugula and bread will wilt slightly but honestly the heartiness from the chicken and other veggies sort of make up for that.

I hope you’ll give this one a try because it truly is a work of art. Every ingredient comes together so nicely to create the perfect balance of flavor. Let me know what you think below and as always, thank you so much for reading and following along!