Spicy Chicken and Spelt Salad

 

This is a vibrant, flavorful chicken and spelt salad with a special soy sauce dressing.

 

Ingredient

¼ cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons Asian sesame oil

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1 tablespoon grated fresh garlic

1 serrano chile peppers, minced

1 cup spelt kernels

6 cups water

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1-quart water

½ teaspoon salt

1 onion, peeled and cut into chunks

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley

¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro

3 carrot, thinly sliced

2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage

 

In a small mixing bowl, combine soy sauce, sesame oil, olive oil, vinegar, peanut butter, cayenne pepper, ginger, garlic, and serrano; put aside.

In a dry skillet over medium-high heat, toast spelt kernels until browned and some have burst. Remove, pour through a mesh strainer, and rinse well with cold water. Drain. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil; add 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and toss in the spelt kernels. Return to a boil, then cover, lower to low heat, and cook until the potatoes are cooked for about 1 hour. Drain well and leave aside to cool.

 

While the spelt is cooking, combine 1-quart water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the onion in a pan. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the chicken is cooked through about 15 minutes. Allow the chicken to cool after removing it from the liquid.

When the chicken has cooled enough to handle, shred it into bite-sized bits and throw it in a large mixing bowl. In a mixing bowl, combine spelt, bell pepper, green onions, parsley, cilantro, carrots, and cabbage. Pour the sauce over the salad and toss to mix.