• Healthy
• Make-Ahead

Ingredients

1. One 4-pound chicken, left whole
2. 1 onion, quartered
3. 1 carrot, halved
4. 6 black peppercorns
5. Water
6. 1 pound medium beets, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
7. 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8. Salt and freshly ground black pepper
9. 4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
10. One 1-ounce slice of baguette, toasted
11. 2/3 cup walnuts
12. 1 small garlic clove
13. 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or ancho chile powder
14. 4 ounces baby arugula
15. Toasted pita bread triangles, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Put the whole chicken, quartered onion, carrot halves and peppercorns in a large soup pot and add enough water to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil, skimming off any scum with a spoon. Simmer until the chicken is cooked, about 45 minutes.
2. Carefully remove the chicken from the pot and pull the meat from the bones; discard the skin. Return the bones to the pot and simmer for 30 minutes longer.
3. Meanwhile, put the beet wedges in a medium baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and 1/4 cup of water and season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and roast for about 1 hour, until the beets are very tender. Let cool. Stir the vinegar and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into the pan juices.
4. Shred the chicken and transfer it to a bowl. Strain the chicken broth from the soup pot. Pour 1 cup into a bowl and save the rest for another use. Add the bread to the broth and let stand until softened. In a blender or food processor, pulse the walnuts with the garlic until finely chopped. Add the soaked bread and puree until creamy and smooth. If necessary, add a few extra tablespoons of broth until the sauce is the consistency of thin sour cream. Season with salt and pepper. Stir the sauce into the chicken and season with salt and pepper.
5. In a small skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil with the Aleppo pepper over moderate heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Drizzle the spicy oil over the chicken salad.
6. Arrange the arugula on a platter and top with the beets and their dressing. Spoon the chicken salad alongside and serve with the pita.

Make Ahead

The chicken salad and roasted beets can be refrigerated separately overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.