Chicken Tabbouleh

From EatingWell: July/August 1998, The EatingWell Diabetes Cookbook (2005) — Subscribe Now!

On a hot summer day, make this hearty salad using roasted chicken from the deli counter and whole-grain bulgur (it doesn't require cooking, just plumping in hot water). Round out the meal with tomato wedges and Toasted Pita Crisps.

6 servings, about 1 1/3 cups each

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

3 cups water
1 cup bulgur
3 cups cubed skinless cooked chicken, (1-inch cubes)
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup chopped scallions
1/3 cup currants
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation

Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add bulgur and remove from the heat. Let stand until most of the water is absorbed, 20 to 30 minutes.
Drain bulgur well, squeezing out excess moisture. Transfer to a large bowl. Add chicken, parsley, scallions and currants.
Whisk orange juice concentrate, lemon juice, oil, cumin and cayenne in a small bowl until blended. Toss with the bulgur mixture. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Tips & Notes

To poach chicken breasts: Place boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a medium skillet or saucepan and add lightly salted water to cover; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 10 to 12 minutes.
Ingredient note: Bulgur is made by parboiling, drying and coarsely grinding or cracking wheat berries. Don't confuse bulgur with cracked wheat, which is simply that—cracked wheat. Since the parboiling step is skipped, cracked wheat must be cooked for up to an hour whereas bulgur simply needs a quick soak in hot water for most uses. Look for it in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets, near other grains, or online at kalustyans.com, lebaneseproducts.com.

Nutrition

Per serving: 260 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 60 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrates; 26 g protein; 6 g fiber; 166 mg sodium; 536 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (60% daily value), Fiber (24% dv), Potassium (15% dv).

1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 starch, 3 very lean meat