We’re creeping into those winter weeks that have a tendency to feel dark, endless and bleak. One of the best ways to counteract this feeling? Bright, delicious and beautiful food!
Yep, I said beautiful — lately I’ve noticed a bunch of gorgeous seasonal produce at my grocery store, including a stunning PINK radicchio that I could not resist.
Pink radicchio is slightly milder than its deep purple-hued cousin, making it a perfect stand-in for the radicchio in traditional tricolore salad. Belgian endive and arugula round out the greens, which are dressed up with a splash of lemony vinaigrette.
I am a huge fan of using our Joule sous vide to cook chicken breast for salads, but if you don’t have one, don’t worry! I’m including a stovetop version here too.
Pesto Chicken with Winter Tricolore Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients
Chicken
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c. pesto (homemade or store-bought), divided
Salt
Pepper
Salad + Dressing
1 head of pink radicchio (or regular radicchio)
2 small Belgian endives
1 bunch arugula (about 6 cups)
4 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. dijon mustard
salt
pepper
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/3 c. olive oil
7oz fresh ciliegine or bocconcini (small bite-sized balls) mozzarella
Instructions
Sous Vide Method:
Set your sous vide in a pot of water to 149 degrees Fahrenheit. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper all over and place into a bag for cooking. Add about 1/4 c. pesto into the bag, moving the chicken around inside to coat.
Seal and lower the bag into the water and cook between 45 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken breast (45 minutes for 1-inch, up to 1 hour and 15 minutes for 1.5 inches).
After the chicken is done, heat a cast-iron or stainless steel pan over high heat and brown the chicken for one minute on each side. Remove from the pan and slice into strips.
Stovetop Method:
Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place in a bag and add 1/4 c. pesto into the bag, moving the chicken around inside to coat. Allow chicken to marinate in the pesto in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.
Heat a cast-iron or stainless steel pan over high heat. If your pesto is already very oily, you may not need to add extra oil to the pan, but if needed you can add one Tbsp. to keep the chicken from sticking. Cook on one side for about 5-7, flip, then cook through on the second side for another 5-7 minutes until the internal temp of the chicken is 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Let rest for 5-10 minutes, then remove from the pan and slice into strips.
Salad and Dressing:
Wash the pink radicchio and slice the head in half and then into quarters lengthwise, cutting through the root. Slice the quarters into 1/2-inch strips widthwise, starting at the top and working down to the root.
Wash the endives, slice each in half lengthwise, cutting through the root. Slice the halves into 1/2-inch strips widthwise, starting at the top and working down to the root.
Wash and dry the arugula. Remove any very long stems. Combine the three lettuces in a large bowl and toss together.
Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, mustard, a pinch of salt and a few generous grinds of fresh black pepper until combined. Whisk in the minced garlic and then slowly stream in the olive oil, whisking constantly, until the dressing is emulsified. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
Assembly:
Toss the greens with the dressing to coat. Divide the greens between four plates, top with half of a sliced chicken breast and the mozzarella balls. Spoon the remaining 1/4 c. pesto directly over the chicken and enjoy!
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