IT IS AMAZING.

Every ingredient is so well thought out, each delivering a unique flavor and/or texture.

This chopped salad begins with a base of orzo pasta and builds from there. Check out the ingredients below.

The ingredients laid out above will make a gigantic crowd-worthy salad. Easily enough to feed 8 people as a meal, more as a side dish. We’ll be eating on it for days and I’m okay with that!

The Ingredients

• Orzo pasta – cooked, drained and cooled
• Boneless skinless chicken breasts – grilled and cubed
• Spinach and radicchio – julienned
• Tomatoes – diced
• Black olives – sliced
• Sundried tomatoes – chopped
• Pine nuts – lightly toasted
• Capers – drained
• Parmesan cheese – shredded or shaved
• Roasted Garlic Lemon Vinaigrette – garlic, lemon, red wine vinegar, honey, olive oil, salt

The Process

• Roast garlic at 400 degrees for 45 minutes (see How to Oven Roast Garlic)
• Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package instructions
• Grill chicken breasts
• Slice and dice remaining ingredients
• When garlic is done, prepare vinaigrette
• Toss and serve

Right before serving, toss the salad with the Roasted Garlic Lemon Vinaigrette. The wonderful thing about this salad (and vinaigrette) is that it holds up nicely in warm weather. This might be my favorite picnic salad yet!

This Insalata Chicken Florentine also keeps well. We literally will eat on this for three days and it’s just as good as the very first bite.

Are there recipes that remind you of a favorite vacation that you’d like to see us recreate? I’d love for you to comment below. Your feedback is so important to me (and keeps the recipe love fresh).

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All my best,
xo Libby

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Insalata Chicken Florentine (Macaroni Grill Copycat)

This crowd-pleaser salad is amazing! Every ingredient is so well thought out, each delivering a unique flavor and/or texture.

Course Entree, Salad Entree

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts grilled and cubed
• 1 pound orzo pasta cooked, drained, cooled
• 5 ounces fresh spinach julienned
• 1 head radicchio julienned
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
• 1 cup black olives sliced
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
• 1 cup pine nuts lightly toasted
• 3.5 ounce jar capers drained
• 4 ounces Parmesan cheese shredded or shaved
• 1 cup Roasted Garlic Lemon Vinaigrette see recipe link in post

Instructions

• Grill chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces. Prepare orzo according to package instructions. Drain and cool. Julienne, slice or chop remaining ingredients. Place all ingredients in a large salad bowl. Toss with vinaigrette. Garnish with additional parmesan cheese.

The post Insalata Chicken Florentine (Copycat Macaroni Grill) appeared first on Lemony Thyme.