When you’re searching for a delicious main dish salad, this is a good one to try. There are plenty of flavors in this chicken florentine salad, and it’s filling too. There’s a little pasta added in (not a lot), but it’s enough to give you some sustenance along with the chicken so you can feel like you’re getting a complete dinner.
Ingredients needed:
lemon juice Dijon mustard garlic extra virgin olive oil Parmesan cheese kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper cooked chicken breast toasted pine nuts sliced black olives capers fresh spinach leaves orzo
How to make Lemon Parmesan Vinaigrette:
In a small bowl whisk together the freshly squeezed lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and minced garlic. Slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream, whisking to emulsify. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside the vinaigrette while you assemble the salad.
In a large salad bowl, toss together sliced chicken, toasted pine nuts, black olives, capers, baby spinach leaves, and cooked orzo pasta.
How to toast pine nuts:
To quickly toast the pine nuts, just put them in a small fry pan over medium heat. Watch them closely, and use a wooden spoon to move them around until they are lightly toasted. Be careful- they’ll burn if you don’t tend to them! Pour them onto a paper towel to cool before adding them to your salad. I like to buy pine nuts at Costco. They’re less expensive there, and you can keep the big bag in the freezer and use them as needed.
Add the vinaigrette to taste and gently toss to coat. Serve immediately.
The dressing for this salad is so yummy. It properly gives the spinach the perfect amount of moisture to let it soak up the flavors but still stay fresh and crisp. This is one delicious salad. Enjoy!
Here are a few more main dish salad recipes you might like to try:
Classic Cobb Salad Susie’s Tuna Salad Steak Salad Shrimp and Vegetable Salad BLT Grilled Cheese Salad with Ranch Dressing
