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Epicurious
Gourmet

Grilled Chicken Summer Salad

By Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez

4.4

(26)

Grilled chicken summer salad on a large round platter.
Photo by John Kernick

"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.

Cooks' notes:

•Vinaigrette, without chives, can be made 1 day ahead and chilled. Add chives just before serving.
•Radish-cucumber salad, without parsley, can be made 1 day ahead and chilled. Add parsley just before serving.
•Chickpea salad, without mint, can be made 1 day ahead and chilled. Add mint just before serving.
•Haricots verts can be cooked 1 day ahead and chilled in a sealable bag lined with paper towels.
•Mushrooms and chicken can be cooked in batches in an oiled hot 2-burner grill pan over medium-high heat.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    1 1/2 hr

  • Yield

    Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

For vinaigrette:

5 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 small garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped chives

For radish-cucumber salad:

4 cups water
1/3 cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 bunch radishes
4 Persian cucumbers or 1 seedless cucumber
1/2 cup packed flat-leaf parsley leaves

For chickpea salad:

1 (15-to 19-ounces) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 tablespoon chopped mint

For green bean salad

1 pound haricorts verts or other green beans
1/2 cup whole almonds with skin, toasted and coarsely chopped

For grilled mushrooms and chicken:

3/4 pound fresh cremini mushrooms, halved
3/4 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems reserved for another use and caps halved
2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs
1/3 cup basil pesto

Fresh tomato salad:

2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
1/4 cup thinly sliced basil

For lettuce:

4 cups thinly sliced romaine, Bibb, and/or Boston lettuce
Equipment: a perforated grill sheet

Preparation

  1. Make vinaigrette:

    Step 1

    Whisk 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.

  2. Make radish-cucumber salad:

    Step 2

    Boil water with salt, sugar, garlic, and peppercorns in a 4-quart pot, uncovered, 10 minutes.

    Step 3

    While brine boils, trim and halve radishes. Halve cucumbers lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

    Step 4

    Remove 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.

    Step 5

    Transfer to a large bowl and chill, uncovered, about 20 minutes.

  3. Make chickpea salad:

    Step 6

    Stir together chickpeas, onion, 1/4 cup vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste.

  4. Cook green beans:

    Step 7

    Cook 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.

  5. Grill mushrooms and chicken:

    Step 8

    Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over hot charcoal (medium-high heat for gas); see Grilling Procedure .

    Step 9

    Toss mushrooms with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette and marinate 10 minutes.

    Step 10

    Grill 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.

    Step 11

    Season 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.

    Step 12

    Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices and toss with pesto in a large bowl.

  6. Dress salads and assemble dish:

    Step 13

    Toss brined cucumbers and radishes with parsley, 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste.

    Step 14

    Stir mint into chickpea salad.

    Step 15

    Toss beans with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with almonds.

    Step 16

    Toss tomatoes with 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, basil, and salt and pepper to taste.

    Step 17

    Toss lettuce with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette.

    Step 18

    Arrange chicken, mushrooms, and salads side by side on a large platter and serve remaining vinaigrette on the side.

TagsSaladChicken ThighChickenPoultryGreen BeanBean and LegumeVegetableChickpeaTomatoMainLunchDinnerGluten FreeGrillingSummerGourmet

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