Chicken and Israeli Couscous Veggie Salad Recipe

by Dorothy Reinhold on March 30, 2010


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What do you do with the remnants of a rotisserie chicken, some random stuff that needs using from the vegetable drawer (radishes, a cuke, red bell pepper, flat-leaf parsley), and some grape tomatoes the kids haven’t found yet?

This quickie salad, for one. It makes a nice light dinner; do as my husband did and dibs the leftovers for lunch.  I make it in the morning and store it in the refrigerator all day, for a lightning-fast dinner that night.

I am a grains hoarder, with an abundant variety of grains and grain mixes in my pantry, so I chose Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend – a mix of Israeli couscous, orzo, baby garbanzos and red quinoa. It cooks in 10ish minutes, has a wonderful chew, and is my new favorite thing. I recommend it.

For dressing, I used a few squirts of a homemade mustardy vinaigrette, and a few squirts of a bottled Italian I had on hand. For homemade, you could mix a quick dressing of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon zest or a squirt of juice, and call it a day.  This is supposed to be quick, so don’t fuss too much! Leave out whatever veggie you don’t like, or sub something else in its place.

Chicken and Israeli Couscous Veggie Salad

If you don’t want to use the TJ’s grains blend, use cooked rice, barley, wheat berries, couscous, orzo or anything similar. Use what you have hanging around!

  • 1 1/2 cups cooked Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend (or Israeli couscous), cooled
  • 1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions (3-4)
  • 1/2 cup diced radishes (3-4)
  • 1/2 cup diced seeded peeled cucumber
  • 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 20 grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • Ground cumin
  • Salad dressing
  • Garnish: Chopped fresh basil

In a large bowl, add cooked grains or couscous, chicken, onions, radishes, cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes and parsley. Mix gently. Sprinkle lightly with ground cumin, drizzle some dressing over the salad and mix again to combine. Taste and add additional dressing or cumin, if needed. Refrigerate.

To serve, portion into 4 wide bowls and garnish with basil shreds if you like.

Serves 4.

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