Matvetesallad med kyckling (Swedish wheat-berry salad with chicken and pesto)
45 min · 47 g protein · 558 cals / serving
The Swedish matlåda at its best: chewy matvete tossed warm in a lemony basil pesto so every grain takes it in, with oven-roasted chicken, soft courgette, sweet red pepper, red onion and burst cherry tomatoes, plus crisp sugar snaps and cucumber for crunch. Two trays in the oven, a pot on the hob, and four lunches that only get better by Thursday.
Ingredients
- 1 lb 7 oz chicken breast, chicken breast fillets (kycklingfilé), in 3 cm (1-inch) pieces
- 2 tsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp for the chicken, 1 1/2 tsp for the vegetables
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 medium zucchini, courgettes, in 2 cm (3/4-inch) chunks
- 3 red bell peppers, in chunks
- 2 small red onions, in wedges
- 2 cups red cherry tomatoes, whole
- a scant 1 cup dry matvete (wheat berries), boiled with salt, cooked by the pack
Pesto dressing
- 3 1/2 tbsp pesto with basil, pine nuts and cashews, green basil pesto from a jar
- zest of 1 lemon lemon zest
- 2 tbsp lemon juice, from the zested lemon
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 cups sugar snap peas, sliced on the diagonal
- 1 cucumber, diced
To finish
- 1 packed cup leaves fresh basil
Steps
- Heat the oven to 435°F and line two large baking trays.
- Toss the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon of the oil, the paprika, oregano, half the salt and the pepper and spread it over one tray. Toss the courgettes, red peppers, onion wedges and cherry tomatoes with the rest of the oil and salt on the second tray. Roast both, swapping shelves halfway: the chicken 15–18 minutes, until golden and 165°F inside, the vegetables 20–25 minutes, until browned at the edges.
- Meanwhile cook the matvete in plenty of lightly salted water for the time on the pack (10–12 minutes for most Swedish matvete), drain well and tip into a large bowl.
- Stir the pesto, lemon zest, lemon juice and water together and toss half of it through the warm matvete so the grains soak it up.
- Fold in the chicken, the roasted vegetables with their juices and the rest of the dressing, then the sugar snaps and cucumber. That is fine while the salad is still warm: it goes straight into the fridge and they stay crisp. Divide among four boxes with the basil leaves on top and refrigerate within 2 hours; it keeps 4 days and is good cold or at room temperature.
Good to know
Can I use chicken thigh?
Yes, kycklinglårfilé is cheaper and juicier cold through the week, at about 61 instead of 66. Give it the full 20–25 minutes with the vegetables.
Should I warm it at work?
No need: like a pasta salad it is made to be eaten cold or at room temperature. Take the box out of the fridge half an hour before lunch and the pesto loosens again.
Per
- Calories
- 90
- Protein
- (34%)
- 7 g
- Fat
- (26%)
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- (40%)
- 10 g
- of which sugar
- 3 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 158 mg
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How
As written, 2230 kcal goes into the pot and 3030 g of ingredients comes out as about 2485 g of food: 90 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.