Blue Heron Community Farm

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Pesto Chicken Potato Salad

INGREDIENTS:

Salad:

  • 1 lb baby redskin or yellow potatoes, scrubbed and halved

  • 8 oz green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths

  • 12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, poached* then shredded

  • 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

Pesto:

  • 1 tbsp raw unsalted walnut pieces

  • 1 tbsp raw unsalted pine nuts

  • 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

  • 1 1/4 cups lightly packed fresh basil (leaves and tender stems)

  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

PREPARATION:

  1. To a large saucepan, add potatoes and enough cold water to cover. Bring to a simmer; cook just until tender, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to a large bowl. Let cool.

  2. Return same saucepan of water to a boil. Add beans and cook until tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to a large bowl of ice water to chill; drain and pat dry. Set aside.

  3. Meanwhile, prepare pesto: To a mini food processor, add walnuts, pine nuts and garlic; pulse to finely chop. Add basil, salt and pepper; pulse to combine. With motor running, gradually add oil through feed tube; blend until smooth. Add cheese; pulse to combine.

  4. To bowl with potatoes, add beans, chicken, tomatoes and pesto; toss gently to coat. Refrigerate in airtight containers up to 2 days.

Tip: To poach chicken, bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add chicken. As soon as water starts bubbling, reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a slow simmer. Cook until no longer pink and an instant-read thermometer reaches 165°F when tested in thickest part, 10 to 12 minutes.