chicken with spinach and tomato orzo salad

Chicken

Chicken with Spinach & Tomato Orzo Salad

Baked chicken breasts cook in the oven while you mix together a Mediterranean-inspired salad—packed with veggies, whole-wheat orzo and an easy homemade vinaigrette—for a weekend-worthy dinner on the table in under an hour. The leftovers from this healthy 400-calorie meal make a delicious packable lunch for the next day.

Ingredients

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (8 ounces each), halved
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon lemon zest
½ teaspoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon ground pepper, divided
¾ cup whole-wheat orzo
2 cups thinly sliced baby spinach
1 cup chopped cucumber
1 cup chopped tomato
¼ cup chopped red onion
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped kalamata olives
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic, grated
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Brush chicken with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Place in a baking dish. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 165 degrees F, 25 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a quart of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add orzo and cook for 8 minutes. Add spinach and cook for 1 minute more. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl. Add cucumber, tomato, onion, feta and olives. Stir to combine.
Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir all but 1 tablespoon of the dressing into the orzo mixture. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the chicken and serve with the salad.