Serves 10 or more. This endlessly adaptable salad takes full advantage of whatever left-over veggies you have in your produce drawer. Use the meat of two store-bought rotisserie chickens if you’re pressed for time. If you like, halve the recipe and you’ve got lunch for a few days.
Ingredients
3 or 4 chicken breasts, roasted and chopped
3 cups buckwheat
2 medium cucumbers, peeled and chopped
1 pound grape or cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 cup Italian parsley, chopped
½ cup basil, chopped
½ cup scallions, chopped
½ cup goat cheese
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, 3-4 lemons
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Begin by roasting the chicken breasts. Preheat an oven to 350°. Rub a tablespoon of olive oil over the breasts, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place in a roasting pan. Cook for 45 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165°. Once the chicken has cooled, chop into bite-sized cubes and refrigerate until ready to use.
Meanwhile, prepare the buckwheat according to package directions. Once the buckwheat has cooked, set aside to cool, then refrigerate until ready to use.
While the chicken and buckwheat cook, chop the vegetables and herbs, adding each to a large bowl as you go along.
Once everything’s chopped, add the chicken and buckwheat to the bowl. Stir to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk together ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Drizzle over the salad and gently stir to combine.
Cover the salad and let it rest in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.