My “daughter” (Hilary) is going on her mini Spring Break this weekend and requested a few things to take with her: chicken salad and tabbouleh. Being the good sister that I am, I happily obliged. Plus I’ve needed a good excuse to get out of this cooking/blogging slump.
Last summer I mentioned to one of the dance moms who was making tabbouleh for dinner how much I loved it! Hers had chicken and feta…could it get any better?? She returned that night to pick up her daughter with some for me to try and the recipe. How exciting! It was amazing…and healthy, the recipe was from Cooking Light!
Later that month I brought the recipe with me on our family beach trip and it was a hit there as well. Even our “extra-mayo”, “no-butter-please, country-crock-only" friend loved it!
Tabbouleh is made with bulgur (a quick cooking form of wheat…which is a fiber-rich whole grain), tomato, lots of parsley, and mint. I opted to leave the mint out. Bulgur can be tricky to locate…you may be able to find it by the rice and other grains in a regular grocery store. Whole Foods definitely has it. In Albertson’s it was by the olive oil?!?
Other changes I made: 1) baked my own chicken…but rotisserie is definitely easier, 2) used a little more olive oil, and 3) doubled the recipe.
I would probably have a smaller serving (not 1 1/2 cups) and serve it over lettuce…yes, another salad!
Chicken and Feta Tabbouleh
adapted from CookingLIght.com
Makes 4 large servings (1 1/2 cups)
3/4 cup uncooked bulgur
1 cup boiling water
2 cups chopped skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
1 cup chopped plum tomato
1 cup chopped English cucumber (or a regular one with/ the seeds removed)
3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Place bulgur in a medium bowl; cover with 1 cup boiling water. Let stand 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
Combine chicken and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add bulgur to chicken mixture; toss gently to combine. Taste and re-season with salt, pepper, and cumin.
Per serving (1 1/2 cups) – 296 calories, 9.5 g fat (3.4 g saturated), 26 g carbohydrates, 6 g fiber, 28 g protein (exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1/2 vegetable, 3 protein, 2 fat; WW points: 6)
