Chicken Florentine Salad

Chicken Florentine Salad

First inspired by Macaroni Grill’s Insalata Florentine, my Chicken Florentine salad has gone through many evolutions to get it right where I want it.

Chicken Florentine Salad calls to me as soon as the sun starts shining and warming me up in the late spring. Its filled with wonderful, fresh flavors and thrives on sun-ripened tomatoes.

If you needed an excuse to plant spinach and tomatoes in your garden, this is it.

I’ll likely be serving Chicken Florentine Salad weekly throughout the summer. It’s perfect for packing up for picnics or potlucks,  and it’s an incredibly healthy fueling up meal before those big baseball games.

Ingredients List for Salad

• 5 oz bag of fresh baby spinach
• 2 chicken breast meat from rotisserie chicken, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
• 1/3 cup non-oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, julienne cut
• 3 Tbsp capers
• 1/2 can artichoke hearts, chopped (save the liquid)
• 2.25 oz can sliced olives
• 1 cup orzo pasta, cooked and then rinsed with cold water and drained
• Feta vinaigrette (see recipe below)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Cracked black pepper

Method

Excluding Parmesan and black pepper, toss all salad ingredients and dressing in a large bowl. Top with Parmesan and black pepper. Chill until ready to serve.

Ingredients List for Feta Vinaigrette

• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/2 cup artichoke liquid
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 3 Tbsp crumbled Feta cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Place all ingredients in a salad dressing shaker and shake vigorously, or place ingredients in a bowl and whisk. Refrigerate until ready to use and pour over Chicken Florentine Salad.