Grilled Chicken Summer Salad
A vibrant and hearty summer salad featuring grilled chicken thighs, mixed mushrooms, and fresh vegetables with a red wine vinaigrette. This composed salad combines brined radishes and cucumbers, green beans, chickpeas, and lettuce, all brought together with fresh herbs and a tangy dressing.
Ingredients
- •5 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
- •1 tablespoon lemon juice
- •1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- •2 cloves garlic
- •¾ teaspoon sugar
- •¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- •¼ cup chives
- •4 cups water
- •⅓ cup kosher salt
- •2 tablespoons sugar
- •4 cloves garlic
- •1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- •1 bunch radishes
- •4 whole Persian cucumbers
- •½ cup parsley
- •1 can chickpeas
- •¼ cup red onion
- •1 tablespoon mint
- •1 pound green beans
- •½ cup almonds
- •¾ pound cremini mushrooms
- •¾ pound shiitake mushrooms
- •2 pounds chicken thighs
- •⅓ cup basil pesto
- •2 whole tomatoes
- •¼ cup basil
- •4 cups lettuce
- •1 piece perforated grill sheet
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients, except oil and chives, with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Whisk in chives.
5 min
- 2.
Boil water with salt, sugar, garlic, and peppercorns in a 4-quart pot, uncovered, 10 minutes.
10 min
- 3.
While brine boils, trim and halve radishes. Halve cucumbers lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
5 min
- 4.
Remove brine from heat. Add radishes and cucumbers and let stand, uncovered, 10 minutes. Drain in a colander, discarding garlic and peppercorns. Transfer radishes and cucumbers to an ice bath to stop cooking, then drain well in colander.
15 min
- 5.
Transfer to a large bowl and chill, uncovered, about 20 minutes.
20 min
- 6.
Stir together chickpeas, onion, 1/4 cup vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste.
5 min
- 7.
Cook green beans in a large pot of well-salted boiling water, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 3 to 6 minutes. Drain. Transfer to a large ice bath to stop cooking. Drain again and pat dry.
10 min
- 8.
Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over hot charcoal (medium-high heat for gas); see Grilling Procedure .
15 min
- 9.
Toss mushrooms with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette and marinate 10 minutes.
10 min
- 10.
Grill mushrooms in 2 batches on oiled grill sheet, covered only if using a gas grill, stirring frequently, until golden-brown, about 5 minutes per batch. Toss hot mushrooms with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette.
15 min
- 11.
Season chicken with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Oil grill rack, then grill chicken over medium-hot charcoal (medium heat for gas), covered only if using a gas grill, turning chicken occasionally and moving it as necessary to avoid flare-ups, until just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes total. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.
20 min
- 12.
Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices and toss with pesto in a large bowl.
5 min
- 13.
Toss brined cucumbers and radishes with parsley, 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste.
5 min
- 14.
Stir mint into chickpea salad.
2 min
- 15.
Toss beans with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with almonds.
5 min
- 16.
Toss tomatoes with 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, basil, and salt and pepper to taste.
5 min
- 17.
Toss lettuce with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette.
2 min
- 18.
Arrange chicken, mushrooms, and salads side by side on a large platter and serve remaining vinaigrette on the side.
5 min
