This farro salad with grilled chicken, pistachios and pomegranate has a great nutty flavor and makes a great healthy lunch or dinner.
Product samples were provided by Wonderful Pistachios, thoughts and opinions are my own.
Welcome to 2016! I know lots of people, myself included, are trying to focus on healthier eating after all the holiday treats and indulgences. But, healthy is no fun if it doesn’t taste good! A couple of years ago I was at a local restaurant here in Chicago called Siena Tavern and we decide to try the Farro Seafood Salad. This was my first introduction to farro and all I can say is YUMMY!
This farro salad might be one of my favorite recipes to date. So much so that I ate ALL of it the first time I made it!
Farro is an ancient grain that’s well worth learning to make, not that it’s super complicated. You should rinse the farro first, then cook. Take a look at the package directions as some cooking times vary, but I find that if you bring to a boil first and then simmer uncovered it should take right around 15 minutes until all the water is evaporated. Also, and this is super important, when you are buying farro, make you get the Italian pearled version, which will cook in about 15-20 minutes. The unpearled version requires overnight soaking which is not exactly what you want for a quick and easy weeknight meal.
It has a nice nutty, earthy taste that makes it a great base for dishes on its own, as well as an add-in for a traditional lettuce-based salad or soups.
This dish comes together really quickly. While the farro is cooking you grill the chicken, either indoors or out, or you can use any type of cooked chicken. Since it is January in Chicago, for this recipe I grilled indoors using this Staub grill pan I got from Food52 a few months ago. I adore this pan! After the chicken and farro are cooked you can quickly whip up the vinaigrette and then combine everything together. I do it in the pan I cooked the farro in for easy cleanup. You can serve immediately, or refrigerate and let the flavors meld for a bit. It’s fantastic either way!
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This farro salad with grilled chicken, pistachios and pomegranate has a great nutty flavor and makes a great healthy lunch or dinner.
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Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1/2 cup pearled farro
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 4 oz boneless (skinless chicken breast)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup Wonderful shelled pistachios
- 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
For the vinaigrette:
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon minced shallot
- pinch of ground pepper
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Rinse the farro using a fine mesh strainer. Add the farro and water to a medium saucepan; bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for an additional 10-12 minutes until the water has evaporated.
- While the farro is cooking, brush the chicken with oil and grill over medium-high, either in a grill pan or on an outdoor grill; cooking 6 minutes per side. Chop into bite-sized pieces when done cooking.
- Roughly chop the pistachios with a sharp knife and set aside.
- When the farro is done cooking add the chopped pistachios, thyme, pomegranate seeds, chicken, salt and pepper. Mix well.
- To make the vinaigrette, add vinegar through honey to a small bowl and whisk together. Slowly add olive oil whisking to combine. Add to farro mixture as desired.
Notes
The dressing makes more than you will likely use with the farro; store any leftover dressing in a small jar or other airtight container. Dressing will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.
I LOVE these flavors all together!! This would be so filling and flavorful. I can’t wait to try it. Pinned.
I have added the ingredients to my shopping list! I love pistachios and what a great way to use another (less common) grain.
I love trying new healthy dishes especially whole grain recipes that add a little protein and flavor. It’s the perfect one dish meal. This farro frilled chicken with pistachios looks delish.
★★★★★
looks healthy and delicious, saving it for later!
Farro is the new Quinoa! Need to try this – I think its going to be a very popular grain this year! Looks yummy!
I love farro, and this is a great way to eat it! Thanks for this wonderfully colorful and healthy dish!
This dish looks absolutely delicious! Love all the flavours!
★★★★★
I just had a farro salad the other night, and I loved it so much I bought farro for home the next day. this sounds like a great recipe to start experimenting with
I’m a farro fan, too–I love not only its nutty flavor, but that the nice, big grains cook up a little chewy. So much more interesting than rice or quinoa to me. I bet this would be good with other herbs as well–rosemary or marjoram, for example.
Somehow I’ve never had a chicken and pistachio combo before, but it sounds amazing! I’d totally make this for a protein-packed lunch 😀
★★★★★
I love a farro salad, especially with pomegranate seeds. This is beautiful!
This looks good! I have never tried farro salad before, I might make this recipe to try this weekend,
★★★★
This looks so delicious! I wish I could have a portion right now
★★★★★
This looks great! I haven’t tried anything like this, looks very flavorful 🙂