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Grilled Chicken Summer Salad

4.4(26)

"I like my salads to be meals," says food editor Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez, who developed these recipes. "Lots of fresh everything." The many components of this big salad—served side by side on a platter—all have quite different flavors and textures, which, as they get mixed up on your plate, go together brilliantly.

by Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez·published 2009-06-19

Open original recipe

Servings

Makes 6 servings

Total time

1 min

Calories / serving

—

Ingredients (28)

serves

5 tablespoons red-wine vinegarvinegar
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustarddijon-mustard
2 small garlic cloves, mincedgarlic
3/4 teaspoon sugarsugar
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oilolive-oil
1/4 cup chopped chiveschive
4 cups waterwater
1/3 cup kosher saltsalt
2 tablespoons sugarsugar
4 garlic cloves, smashedgarlic
1 teaspoon black peppercornspeppercorn
1 bunch radishesradish
4 Persian cucumbers or 1 seedless cucumbercucumber
1/2 cup packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 (15-to 19-ounces) can chickpeas, rinsed and drainedchickpea
1/4 cup finely chopped red onionred-onion
1 tablespoon chopped mintmint
1 pound haricorts verts or other green beans
1/2 cup whole almonds with skin, toasted and coarsely choppedalmond
3/4 pound fresh cremini mushrooms, halvedmushroom
3/4 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems reserved for another use and caps halvedshiitake-mushroom
2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighschicken-thighs
1/3 cup basil pestopesto
2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedgestomato
1/4 cup thinly sliced basilbasil
4 cups thinly sliced romaine, Bibb, and/or Boston lettuceromaine
Equipment: a perforated grill sheet

Instructions (18 steps)

01Whisk 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.
02Boil water with salt, sugar, garlic, and peppercorns in a 4-quart pot, uncovered, 10 minutes.
03While brine boils, trim and halve radishes. Halve cucumbers lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
04Remove 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.
05Transfer to a large bowl and chill, uncovered, about 20 minutes.
06Stir together chickpeas, onion, 1/4 cup vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste.
07Cook 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.
08Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over hot charcoal (medium-high heat for gas); see Grilling Procedure .
09Toss mushrooms with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette and marinate 10 minutes.
10Grill 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.
11Season 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.
12Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices and toss with pesto in a large bowl.
13Toss brined cucumbers and radishes with parsley, 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste.
14Stir mint into chickpea salad.
15Toss beans with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with almonds.
16Toss tomatoes with 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, basil, and salt and pepper to taste.
17Toss lettuce with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette.
18Arrange chicken, mushrooms, and salads side by side on a large platter and serve remaining vinaigrette on the side.