Barley Salad with Chicken and Giardiniera Insalata d’orzo con pollo e giardiniera If you are short on time, you can make this salad with
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 1 cup coarsely chopped drained prepared giardiniera ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 4 cups loosely packed baby spinach ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
quick-cooking barley, which takes only 10 to 15 minutes to cook, though I prefer the real thing (pearl barley), time permitting. Good quality prepared giardiniera is a wonderful pantry ingredient to have on hand as a briny, crunchy addition to salads and sandwiches. Of course, if you have leftover roast chicken, you can use that here instead of poaching your own.
Yield Serves 4 to 6
Recipe Bring 2 quarts of salted water to boil in a large saucepan. Add the barley and cook until the barley is tender but still slightly chewy, about 40 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Spread on a baking sheet to cool. Put the chicken in a medium pot with water to cover by about an inch. Add the garlic and lemon zest strips. Season the water with 2 teaspoons salt. Bring the water to a gentle simmer. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove and let cool. Shred or
Ingredients 1 cup pearl barley Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces each) 2 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled 1 lemon, zest removed in strips with a vegetable peeler and juiced
chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Combine the cooled chicken and barley in a large serving bowl with the cherry tomatoes and giardiniera. Drizzle with the lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt
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and pepper and toss well. Add the spinach and parsley
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leaves. Toss just to combine and serve immediately.
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LIDIA'S ITALY AT HOME.indd 38
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