Chicken Farro Salad with Arugula and Goat Cheese

I just got back from the most wonderful vacation in San Juan, Puerto Rico with Travis. I would say the number one highlight of the trip was the food. We did not have a single mediocre meal — every bite was delicious.  While we did a fair amount of research on local restaurants before we left, it was still surprising how much we LOVED everywhere that we ate. Maybe it was that we were on vacation mode, though ;-)

Our favorite place from the trip was a small cafe called St. Germain right in Old San Juan.  It was only a two minute walk from our hotel, which certainly made it easy to go back more than once. 

Their Sunday brunch was delicious. Every meal was served with fresh juices (we tried carrot-orange and pineapple), coffee (Puerto Rican coffee is amazing) and teas. We were also served fresh fruit with a drizzle of honey and homemade granola. This was my favorite part — it all tasted sofresh. Travis even gave me the rest of his to finish :-)

We were so sad to leave such a beautiful place.

While nothing will ever taste as good than a meal on a tropical vacation, I’d say this farro salad is still pretty darn yummy.

I started cooking with farro this summer and now I can say I am pretty much obsessed. I love the texture and it is so filling and fiber-filled!

Every ingredient tastes fresh and perfect for summer.

Arugula, grape tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, basil, oregano, YUM!

I thought this was delicious with grilled chicken, but leave it out and you’d still have one heck of a vegetarian meal.

Happy summer eating, friends. I’ve missed you.

Chicken Farro Salad with Arugula and Goat Cheese

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 cup farro, uncooked

3 cups sliced grilled chicken breast

1.5 cups arugula

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped red onion*

2 T chopped fresh basil (or more if you like)

1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

2 T red wine vinegar

1 T extra-virgin olive oil

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

6 T crumbled goat cheese

In a large pot combine farro, six cups of water, and a dash of salt. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for 25-28 minutes, uncovered, until tender. Drain the farro and allow to cool.

In a large bowl combine the arugula, tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, basil and oregano. Top with the chicken.

In a small bowl whisk together the red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Drizzle on top of the salad. Toss well to coat. Finally, sprinkle with the goat cheese.

*I typically do not like raw red onion, but it tastes very mild in this recipe.

Adapted from Cooking Light