Farro Salad with Grilled Chicken

Drescription

Enjoy the flavors of the season with this summer farro salad. This dish is also great with wheat or rye berries instead of farro: skip the toasting step and cook in a pot of simmering water until tender, about 50 minutes. If your celery doesn't have any leaves on it, substitute fresh parsley instead.

Ingredients

• 1 cup farro
• 1 ½ cups water
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus 1/4 cup, divided
• 1 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 5 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 large red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, sliced, plus 1/2 cup packed celery leaves, coarsely chopped
• ⅓ cup thinly sliced red onion
• ½ cup sliced almonds, toasted

Directions

1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Toast farro in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until very fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Add water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook until tender, 15 to 17 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool.
3. Meanwhile, cut chicken in half or thirds horizontally so the pieces are no more than 1/2 inch thick. Brush with 1 tablespoon oil and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Grill the chicken, flipping once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 165 degrees F, about 7 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board and let cool for 5 minutes. Slice the chicken.
4. Whisk vinegar, crushed red pepper and ground pepper with the remaining 1/4 cup oil and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add bell pepper, celery, celery leaves, onion, the farro and the chicken; stir to combine.
5. Just before serving, sprinkle with almonds.