Chicken Couscous Salad

5 from 2 votes

Easy Chicken Couscous Salad is as bright and sunny as summer itself and will surely be the hit of your next get-together! Fluffy couscous, tender chicken, crunchy almonds, sweet red grapes, and a tangy lemon honey dressing combine for a vibrant medley of flavor and textures.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Main Course / Dinner Salads

Cuisine: American

Diet: Low Fat

Servings:

Author: Carol | From A Chef's Kitchen

Equipment

Ingredients

FOR THE CHICKEN

2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

FOR THE COUSCOUS

2 1/2 cups boiling water
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups couscous

FOR THE DRESSING

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice or to taste
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 cloves garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

TO FINISH THE SALAD

6 scallions medium width, white and light green part only, halved lengthwise and sliced (approximately 1/2 cup)
1 medium carrot minced
1 pound red seedless grapes halved
1 cup sliced almonds lightly toasted if desired, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley plus more for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

COOK THE CHICKEN

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the honey, mustard, olive oil, salt, and black pepper to taste in a small bowl.
Place the chicken on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Pour the honey, mustard, and oil combination over the chicken. Turn the chicken to coat thoroughly.
Bake for 22-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked to at least 165 degrees. Baste the chicken once with the honey-mustard combination.
Let the chicken cool, then cut the chicken breasts into small, thin strips. Refrigerate until needed.

COOK THE COUSCOUS

Combine the boiling water, turmeric, olive oil, salt and black pepper to taste in a heatproof bowl. Stir in the couscous, cover and let stand for 10-15 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Let cool.

MAKE THE DRESSING

Combine all the ingredients for the dressing. Adjust to taste with lemon juice, honey, salt, and black pepper.

TO FINISH THE SALAD

Place the chicken and couscous in a large mixing bowl. Add the scallions, carrot, grapes, almonds, and parsley and stir.
Add approximately half the dressing, reserving the remainder to serve on the side.
Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with a few more sliced almonds and chopped parsley.

Notes

SUBSTITUTIONS:

For a gluten-free option, quinoa works well in place of the couscous.
You can also use Israeli couscous.

MAKE AHEAD:

Although this couscous chicken salad lasts for several days in the refrigerator, making it a day ahead will yield the best results. You can leave the dressing off if you plan to serve it the next day.

Nutrition