- 1 cup farro
- 1-1.5 tbsp mustard
- 1 cup cucumber
- 1 tsp Italian herbs
- 1 lemon
- 1 cup green pepper
- 1 cup red pepper
- 3/4 cup sharp cheddar
- 2 tbsp vinegar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1-2 tbsp parsley
- 1-2 cups rotisserie chicken
- 1/4-1/2 cup red onion
Method:
Prepare Chicken:
Take a whole rotisserie chicken and remove the skin. Pull off the breast meat and place it in a bowl. Using your hands, shred the chicken into small, bite-sized pieces.
I prefer to shred the chicken by hand rather than using a food processor. A food processor can make the chicken too fine and almost mashed, while hand-shredding gives you those little pieces of chicken that you can actually bite into.
Make Dressing:
In a small bowl, combine the mustard, olive oil, fresh herbs, juice of one lemon and vinegar. Mix everything together until well combined. If you need to make a large portion I would recommend.
Now taste it. This dressing should be sharp, tangy and a little pungent—you want it to have enough flavour to stand up to all the other ingredients in the salad.
I recommend using a hot, sharp mustard, preferably Keen's, to give the dressing that spicy kick. Don't be afraid if it tastes a little too sour or strong on its own. Once it's mixed into the salad, those bold flavours mellow out and bring everything together.
Chop the Veggies:
Chop the cucumber, red onion, red pepper and green pepper into small pieces. Everything should be chopped in uniform pieces. Take some fresh parsley and mince into small pieces.
Cook Farro:
Cook the farro according to the package directions until it is tender but still has a little bite to it. You don't want it mushy—the slight chewiness gives the salad a great texture.
Once cooked, drain it well and let it cool completely before adding it to the salad. I like to spread it out on a plate or baking sheet so it cools faster and doesn't continue cooking in the hot pot.
Assemble:
In one bowl add the chicken and drizzle the dressing on top and marinate the chicken. This gives it a lot of flavour. In a separate large bowl add in the cooked Farro while it's still hot and throw in all veggies and parsley. Then add the rest of the dressing. Once mixed well add the chicken and toss. Add some good olive oil and grate sharp cheddar about 3/4 cup.
Mix the salad well and let it sit in fridge for a couple of hours. Add a splash of lemon if it needs more brightness and salt and pepper to taste.