Springtime Salad With Crispy Shallot Vinaigrette

I don't know about you all, but now that Spring has sprung I'm all sorts of busy! Don't get me wrong, I'm loving every minute of it. The days are longer, the sun makes everyone happier, and I'm just a busy little bee. I love it! 

And since I'm super busy, I need some serious help when it comes to having my lunches and meals prepped. Otherwise, I find myself visiting Dahlia Bakery far too often (true story). In fact, the other week I found myself buying a far too expensive salad more than once during the week which my wallet certainly didn't appreciate. But my belly sure did!

So this salad creation is what brings us here today, my friends (a true silver lining if I ever saw one!) Salads don't impress me very often, but when they do, it's a life changing experience. The salad I’m talking about featured fresh spring greens, roasted cauliflower, farro, pine nuts, Beecher's flagship crumbles and a crispy shallot vinaigrette that practically brought tears to my eyes. Each bite had perfect texture, nutty, rich flavor and bright, lemony notes from the vinaigrette. It was a true delight, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I tried to recreate something (hopefully) equally as delicious at home. 

And what do you know? I was fully inspired to keep on eating this amazing salad (but not break the bank) so I set out to create my very own springtime salad to fuel me all week! I present to you Hungry Ali's take on T-Doug's delightful little springtime salad. 

I kept the spirit of this salad alive with ingredients like the farro and roasted cauliflower which added perfect, interesting texture, and my own little twist on that amazing crispy shallot vinaigrette. I also made mine with goat cheese crumbles to add even more tanginess to this zesty, fresh salad. Also, goat cheese is just a necessity on a salad. Am I right? 

Sure there's quite a few steps involved to make each salad component, but I actually find salad prep to be rather relaxing and fun! So crank up the tunes, roll up your sleeves and dedicate your next Sunday afternoon to whipping up these showstopping, healthy and delicious salads to give your week a fresh, springy twist. You'll be the envy of the lunch table, mark my words. 

Springtime Salad with Crispy Shallot Vinaigrette

Makes about 6 individual salads

Ingredients

• 6 cups arugula

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

• 1 cup farro

• 2 cups chicken broth

• 2 heads cauliflower, chopped into florets

• 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

• Juice of 2 large lemons

• 1 shallot, minced

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard

• Crushed red pepper flakes

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Farro: Cook farro in chicken broth according to package directions. 

Chicken: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper and tarragon. Drizzle with oilve oil and bake for 18 minutes. Let rest for about 5 minutes before slicing. 

Cauliflower: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Evenly spread florets over a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Roast for about 20 minutes, tossing occasionally, until golden brown and crispy.

Vinaigrette: Heat olive oil and shallots over medium high heat and bring to simmer until shallots begin to crisp. Meanwhile, add mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper to a mason jar. Once shallots are crispy, pour olive oil/shallot mixture into mason jar. Cover with lid and shake until emulsified. Taste for seasoning. 

Assembly: In six tupperware containers, layer a bed of arugula, about 1/4 cup farro, about 4 strips of chicken and 1/4-1/2 cup cauliflower. Sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons goat cheese crumbles. Serve with crispy shallot vinaigrette on the side.