Dense Pesto & Chicken Salad

Ingredients

Rice:

• 1 cup brown rice, dry

• 2 cups vegetable broth or water

• 1 tsp kosher salt

Chicken:

• 1 lb chicken tenders

• 3 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• freshly cracked black pepper

• 2 tsp neutral oil, I used avocado

Others:

• 4 mini persian cucumbers, quartered and diced

• 4 heaping cups baby arugula

• 1/4 cup chives, thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup parsley, roughly chopped

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

• 1/4 cup lemon juice, about 1 lemon

• 7 oz fresh pesto, homemade or store-bought

• 1 cup fresh mozzarella pearls

• 1 cup pine nuts, toasted

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

• 1 tbsp kosher salt

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Method

1. Add the broth and 1 teaspoon of salt to a small pot. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. While the broth is heating, rinse the brown rice under warm water until the water runs clear and is no longer murky. Once boiling, add the rice. Stir, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook undisturbed for 30–35 minutes, checking briefly at the 30-minute mark to see if the rice is done. Remove the pot from the heat and keep it covered to finish steaming while you prep the rest of the salad.

2. For the chicken, place a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Remove the tenders from their packaging and pat them dry. Season both sides with salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Add the 2 teaspoons of oil to the pan and raise the heat to medium. Place the seasoned tenders in the pan and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Turn off the heat and let the chicken cool in the pan.

3. Prep the rest of the ingredients and add everything to a large bowl. Slice the ends off each cucumber before quartering and dicing them. Halve the tomatoes, thinly slice the chives, roughly chop the parsley, and toast the pine nuts if needed (see note). Add the arugula, lemon juice, pesto, mozzarella, olive oil, vinegar, and salt to the bowl with the prepped ingredients. Toss well to coat and let the flavors get to know each other.

4. Slice each chicken tender in half lengthwise, then turn and dice. Add the diced chicken and cooked rice to the bowl. Mix until everything is thoroughly combined. Taste and adjust with additional salt, pepper, or acid as needed before serving or packing into airtight containers for meal prep. Enjoy!

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Notes

• If I am toasting pine nuts, I will place them on a bare sheet tray and place them in a 375°F oven for 10 minutes before tossing and placing them back in for another 5-10 minutes until nice and golden brown.

• This salad is so perfect for meal prep because the longer it has to marinate in the juices, the better it gets. Enjoy!

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