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Spinach Salad with Chicken, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Almonds

This simple spinach salad with grilled chicken is full of fresh Mediterranean flavors, including sun-dried tomatoes, toasted almonds, sweet red onion and baby spinach. This recipe can easily be adapted to become vegetarian or vegan. Yields 4 serving (or two really big mains).

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Course Salad
Category Mediterranean
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 437 kcal
Autor Elle

Ingredients

For the salad:

  • 3/4 cup pearled spelt (130 g)
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 large organic skinless, boneless chicken breasts (500-600 g)
  • sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (75 g)
  • 1 large red onion, finely chopped
  • 4 handfuls baby spinach hard stems removed and chopped (75-100 g)
  • 2 small bunches flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 3/4 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted (75 g)

For the dressing:

  • 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons Crema con Aceto Balsamico di Modena (balsamic reduction)
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Method

  1. Cook spelt: Cook the spelt according to package instructions; in double the amount water for 20 minutes. Once done, drain if needed and set aside, covered with a lid.

  2. Grill chicken: While the spelt cooks, prepare the chicken. Rub the chicken with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

    Using a large grill skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 1 minute until golden on one side. Flip the chicken breasts over and cook on the other side until golden and grill marks appear. Reduce the heat to medium and cover with a lid. Cook for 5 minutes, flip the chicken using a pair of tongs and cook the other side for about 5 minutes, or until done.

    NOTE: Cooking time can vary depending on the size of the breasts. I used two for this recipe, which were quite large, 600 g in total. Cooking time may be less if using smaller filets.

    Turn off heat, and set the skillet aside to allow the chicken to rest in pan for a few minutes before cutting into bite-sized cubes.

  3. Make dressing: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the dressing ingredients together until emulsified.

  4. Assemble salad: In a large serving bowl, add the cooked spelt, sun-dried tomatoes, red onion, spinach, parsley and almonds. Pour over the dressing and toss to combine. Add the chicken pieces and toss again.

  5. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

For a relaxing atmosphere in the kitchen I recommend my personal Elle Republic: Chilled Out Kitchen Tunes Playlist on Spotify.