Eat Your Greens Chicken Orzo Salad

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This Chicken Orzo Salad is so flavoursome and an excellent way to get in your greens! It makes for perfect meal prep lunches or a salad to serve to friends and family. It has chewy al dente orzo, perfectly cooked chicken, crunchy blanched broccoli, asparagus and green peas and peppery radish all coated in a seriously flavoursome lemon herb dressing.

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Total Time45

Course: Mains, Salad

Cuisine: Australian, Mediterranean

Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free, Low Lactose

Keyword: meal prep salad, orzo, pasta salad

Servings:

Calories: 462kcal

Author: Sarah Bell

Equipment

Large saucepan
Large frying pan
Sharp knife
Chopping Board
2 large bowl heat proof
Slotted spoon

Ingredients

340 grams gluten free orzo pasta 1 2/3 cups
500 grams chicken breasts cut in half widthways
1 cup frozen peas
1 bunch asparagus woody end removed, cut into 2 cm lengths
1 small head broccoli cut into very small florets
1 bunch radish topped, tailed and thinly sliced

Dressing

3 spring onions ends removed, chopped in four pieces
handful fresh coriander
handful fresh parsley
50 mL lemon juice about 1 large lemon
60 mL extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt liberally before adding the orzo. Continue to boil with the lid off until the orzo is tender and al dente. Turn off the heat and strain the orzo through a heat proof colander. Set aside.
While the orzo is cooking, bring a large frying pan to a medium heat. While the pan is heating up, season the chicken breasts well with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan and then the chicken breasts. Cook for around 6 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove from the pan and rest for 5 minutes before cutting into bite sized pieces.
Add the peas, asparagus and broccoli to a heat proof bowl. Have a second bowl half filled with icy water ready to go. Pour boiling water from the kettle over the vegetables. Use a heat proof slotted spoon to remove the vegetables from the boiling water after about 30 seconds and transfer into the icy water. After a minute, strain the vegetables and add to a large salad bowl along with the cooked orzo, cooked chicken breast and the sliced radish.
To make the dressing, add the spring onions, coriander, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and Dijon mustard to a bullet blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Taste and season with sea salt and cracked black pepper.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to combine.

Notes

Nutrition facts are an estimate only.

Storage

Store in an airtight container or if meal prepping, divide between 4-6 airtight containers, depending on how large a serving you would like. Store in the fridge for 3 days.

Nutrition