Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Orzo Salad with Honey Lime Dressing
Yield: 6servings
Prep Time: 30 minutesmins
Cook Time: 20 minutesmins
Total Time: 50 minutesmins
Ingredients
1 ¼cupsdried orzo pasta, (about 227 g)
4 to 5boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 2 pounds (see note)
1cupfrozen corn, thawed
1 to 2medium zucchini, (about 340 g) cut into long sticks (about 4 pieces per zucchini)
1 to 2cupscherry tomatoes, halved
⅓cupolive oil
¼cupfresh lime juice, from about 3 large limes
2tablespoonswhite wine vinegar or unseasoned rice vinegar
2teaspoonshoney
1teaspoonDijon mustard
1clovegarlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
¼teaspooncoarse, kosher salt
Pinchof black pepper, I use coarsely ground
2cupsbaby arugula, (about 113 g)
¼ to ½cupchopped fresh basil, optional but delicious
½ to 1cupcrumbled feta cheese
Instructions
Cook orzo according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
Preheat grill to medium- or medium-high heat. Season the chicken on both sides lightly with salt and pepper (see note below about marinading chicken). Grill the chicken until cooked through, 4-5 minutes per side until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F at the thickest part of the chicken. Let rest 4-5 minutes before cutting into bite-size pieces or thin slices.
If your grill is big enough, add the zucchini while the chicken is cooking. Grill the zucchini until crisp-tender about 8-10 minutes, turning once or twice. Coarsely chop the zucchini into bite-size pieces. (See note below about cooking the zucchini in a skillet)
For the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt and pepper.
In a large serving bowl, add the orzo, arugula, basil, corn, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes. Lightly toss. Add the grilled chicken on top and sprinkle the feta cheese over the salad.
Serve immediately with the dressing alongside OR drizzle the dressing over the top of the entire salad and toss.
Notes
Alternate Cooking Methods: you could cook the zucchini in a skillet on the stovetop (similar to this recipe) rather than grilling. You could also broil the chicken in the oven or cook in a skillet if you don't have a grill. Conversely, you could use fresh corn and grill the corn along with the zucchini and chicken, slicing off the kernels once cooked. Frozen Corn: if using frozen corn that's been thawed, you can take it up a notch by lightly toasting the thawed corn in a skillet that's been preheated with a pat of butter and a drizzle of olive oil. Toss the corn in the hot skillet and cook until golden and sizzling. Amp up the Flavor: you can take the flavor of this salad up a notch if you have time (or remember) to marinade the chicken before grilling/cooking. This easy lemon and garlic chicken marinade goes great with the flavor profile of this salad.