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Finished grilled chicken and asparagus salad fills a white serving bowl with two gold serving spoons resting inside. The bowl is surrounded by a small wooden pinch bowl filled with kosher salt, lemon halves, a clear glass jar filled with lemon thyme vinaigrette, two clear glasses, and two rattan coasters that sit atop a yellow surface.

Grilled Chicken and Asparagus Salad with Kale, Goat Cheese, & Farro

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  • Author: Jess Larson
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes (mostly inactive)
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: serves 4
  • Category: Entree Salads & Bowls Recipes, Main Dishes, Side Dishes
  • Method: Grilling & Smoking
  • Cuisine: American

Description

The absolute perfect warm-weather salad, this Grilled Chicken and Asparagus Salad with Kale, Goat Cheese, & Farro light, bright, hearty, & satisfying all at once – a great meal for spring or summer! 

The amazing thing about this chicken and asparagus salad is its balance in both flavor & texture. Charred & smoky grilled lemon chicken & asparagus, hearty kale, nutty farro, creamy goat cheese, & naturally sweet roasted red peppers all come together in a lemony vinaigrette, creating a crave-worthy salad that you’ll come back to time & time again. 

As is the case with any hearty salad or bowl-style meal, a little bit of prep is involved to pull together all of the components. Feel free to take or leave any component depending on how much time you have (e.g. skip the farro, use store-bought vinaigrette, opt for a tender green, etc.). This is a flexible recipe – have fun with it!

Easily vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, & dairy-free with a few simple swaps & majorly meal-prep friendly! See the Recipe Notes, below for some suggestions & guidance. 

Ingredients

Scale

for the grilled asparagus and chicken kale salad:

  • ½ cup farro, rinsed well 
  • 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin or butterflied (sliced in half lengthwise)
  • ¼ cup olive oil, divided
  • 2 large, juicy lemons, zested & juiced
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped hardy fresh herbs, such as oregano, rosemary, sage, or thyme (see Recipe Notes)
  • 1 pound asparagus, woody ends trimmed
  • 1 bunch lacinato kale, destemmed & thinly sliced
  • 1 (one) 12-ounce jar roasted red pepper, drained & thinly sliced
  • 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
  • kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season

for the lemon thyme vinaigrette:

  • ½ cup olive oil, divided
  • 2 large, juicy lemons, zested & juiced
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (about 8–10 sprigs)
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season

Instructions

  1. Cook the farro: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Add the farro and boil 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until your desired al dente texture is reached. Drain & immediately rinse with cold water. Set aside to drain well or transfer to an airtight container & store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.How to make chicken asparagus salad, step 1: Cook the farro. Cooked farro fills a stainless steel sauce pan. The sauce pan sits atop a yellow surface. A wooden spoon filled with farro surrounds the saucepan at center.
  2. Marinate the chicken: Place the chicken breasts in a large Ziplock bag or baking dish. Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, the lemon zest & juice, garlic, & hardy fresh herbs. Season with 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature, or cover & marinate in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours.How to make grilled chicken and asparagus salad, step 2: marinate the chicken. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts marinate in a homemade lemon thyme vinaigrette within a white square baking dish. The baking dish sits atop a yellow surface surrounded by lemon halves, garlic, loose fresh herbs, and two clear glass pinch bowls filled with kosher salt and ground black pepper.
  3. Prep the lemon thyme vinaigrette: Combine all listed ingredients in a small bowl or jar, seasoning with 1 teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Whisk or shake to combine. Taste and season with additional kosher salt or ground black pepper as desired. Set aside, or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.How to make grilled chicken and asparagus salad, step 3: Prep the lemon thyme vinaigrette. A small clear glass is filled with the ingredients to make up a homemade lemon thyme vinaigrette. The glass sits atop a small white ceramic plate which sits atop a yellow surface. Lemon halves, a small clear glass jar filled with a bit of honey & a honey dipper, a bottle of olive oil, and loose fresh herbs surround the jar of vinaigrette at center.
  4. Salad assembly prep: Meanwhile, as the farro cooks & the chicken marinates, it’s a great time to get a head start on prepping the other kale salad ingredients. First, preheat the grill for medium-high direct heat grilling, 450-500 degrees F. Then…
    1. Place the asparagus on a large plate or small baking sheet. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, then season generously with kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Set aside for grilling.
    2. Destem & finely shred the kale.
    3. Rinse & finely chop the roasted red bell peppers.
    4. Crumble the goat cheese. Grilled Chicken and Asparagus Salad with Kale, Goat Cheese, & Farro ingredients arranged on a yellow surface: Bob's Red Mill Organic Farro, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, olive oil, lemons, garlic, fresh herbs, asparagus, lacinato kale, roasted red pepper, goat cheese, honey, kosher salt, and ground black pepper.
  5. Grill the chicken and asparagus: Place the chicken on the preheated grill, discarding any excess marinade. Grill 4-5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. When you flip the chicken, place the asparagus on the grill (be sure to position it such that the spears are perpendicular to the grill grates!). Grill 5-6 minutes, rolling the asparagus across the grill grates about halfway through to ensure both sides are nicely grilled. Transfer the grilled chicken and asparagus to a plate or small baking sheet. Dice or slice the chicken & roughly chop the asparagus for salad assembly. How to make grilled chicken and asparagus salad, step 5: Grill the chicken and asparagus. Marinated chicken and seasoned asparagus rest inside a white baking dish and atop a white serving platter respectively. The dishes sit atop a yellow surface with lemon halves surrounding.
  6. Grilled asparagus and chicken kale salad assembly: Place the shredded kale in a large bowl. Drizzle a little of the lemon thyme vinaigrette over top. Using your hands, massage the vinaigrette into the kale until vibrantly green & softened. Add the grilled chicken and asparagus, cooked farro, roasted red bell pepper, & goat cheese to the bowl. Drizzle more of the lemon thyme vinaigrette over top & toss to combine. This salad is great served warm, at room temperature, or cold. See Recipe Notes, below, for more meal prep tips. Enjoy!Finished grilled chicken and asparagus salad fills two white serving bowls with two gold serving spoons resting inside the large bowl at center. The bowls are surrounded by a small wooden pinch bowl filled with kosher salt, lemon halves, a clear glass jar filled with lemon thyme vinaigrette, two clear glasses, and two rattan coasters that sit atop a yellow surface.

Equipment

Notes

  • Ingredient Subs & Shortcuts: 
    • Farro – I love the hearty texture of farro, but you can use any grain you love most (brown rice, quinoa, etc.). Using a ready-to-serve rice or grain blend is also a great shortcut here. Make it your own by using whatever you love most, & if quick-cooking rice is your jam…go for it!
    • Fresh herbs – Rather than buying fresh herbs individually, many grocery stores that sell fresh herbs also carry a “poultry blend” consisting of fresh rosemary, sage & thyme – perfect for this recipe! Similar dried herbs & herb blends, such as dried oregano, dried rosemary, dried thyme or herbs de provence or Italian seasoning, work great in a pinch. If using dried herbs, use 2 heaping teaspoons instead of 3 tablespoons as listed in the Ingredients List above.
    • Kale – I love the hearty texture of kale (see the blog post, above, for tips to ensure you’re preparing it properly!). If it’s not your favorite, feel free to swap it with your tender green of choice – spinach, spring mix, arugula, etc. 
  • Make-Ahead & Storage: Leftover grilled chicken and asparagus salad components will keep, stored in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days. If desired, reheat the chicken in the microwave until warmed through, then assemble salads as desired.
  • 20-Minute Meal Prep: A little bit of meal prep will goes a long way in making hearty salads a little easier to throw together during the week, cutting down on the active prep time involved. Feel free to prep all of the salad components & store in individual airtight containers in the refrigerator, or pick & choose a couple to help streamline prep during the week. Personally, I like to…
    • Cook the farro according to Step 1 of Recipe Directions above. Drain well & store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (5 minutes active prep)
    • Prep the lemon marinade according to Step 2 of Recipe Directions, above. Store in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The day you’d like to make grilled chicken, all you have to do is toss the chicken into the marinade – so easy! Marinate for at least 30 minutes while the grill preheats, or marinate in the refrigerator (covered) for up to 8 hours. (10 minutes active prep)
    • Prepare the lemon thyme vinaigrette according to Step 3 of Recipe Directions, above. Store in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. (5 minutes active prep)

Find it online: https://playswellwithbutter.com/grilled-chicken-and-asparagus-salad/