Arugula Salad with Chicken, Dates, & Buckwheat Crumble
I LOVE arugula! And this salad is fantastic! Arugula is a bitter tasting salad green, which means that it can get those digestive juices flowing, stimulating better breakdown of your food. This is a great salad to eat before a meal (sans chicken), or as an entree!
Hemp hearts contribute to bone and heart health and (even though a plant) are a complete protein, meaning they contain all of the essential amino acids.
And buckwheat — a nutrient-packed, gluten-free seed is known to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. It is very high in antioxidants, particularly tartiary buckwheat.
So, by toasting hemp hearts and buckwheat groats to use as a topping for this salad (or any salad for that matter!), you are greatly increasing it’s nutritional profile!
Arugula Salad with Chicken, Dates, & Buckwheat Crumble
(serves 2)
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup uncooked buckwheat groats
- ¼ cup hemp hearts (shelled hemp seeds)
- 4 cups arugula (or other delicate salad greens, like spring mix)
- 6 dates, sliced
- 1 ½ oz Manchego cheese, grated (sub Parmiggiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano)
- 1 large grilled chicken breast (about 6 oz), diced
For the Dressing:
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
- ½ teaspoon honey
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Instructions:
- In a small skillet, toast the buckwheat groats and hemp hearts over low heat until fragrant and toasted, but not burnt (about 10 minutes), shaking the skillet often. Remove from heat once toasted.
- While the buckwheat and hemp are toasting, whisk together the salad dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl, toss arugula with the dressing, then add the dates, cheese, chicken, and toasted buckwheat and hemp.
An Oldways Whole Grains Council recipe, courtesy of Kelly Toups