Apple, Fennel and Chicken Salad with Couscous

A refreshing, crunchy, sweet-savory salad featuring a play of fresh chopped apples, fennel and chicken breast blended with whole wheat couscous and spinach, then topped with lemon balsamic vinaigrette.

• Prep: 20 min
• Cook: 10 min
• Total: 30 min
• Servings: 4
• Cuisine: American
• Difficulty: Medium

Dietary

• Soy-Free
• Egg-Free
• Low-Sodium
• Low-Saturated-Fat
• Low-Cholesterol
• Low-Calorie

Tags

• sauté
• healthy
• fresh
• quick
• tangy

Ingredients

• 12 ounce chicken breast (boneless, 2-3 breasts)
• 3 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
• 1 cup whole wheat couscous
• 2 red apples (medium)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (divided)
• 1 whole fennel bulb
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 0.25 teaspoon salt
• 0.125 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3.5 cup fresh baby spinach
• 0.125 cup walnuts (chopped)

Instructions

1. Slice chicken breasts crosswise into 1/2 inch strips.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.
3. Add chicken, cook 8-10 minutes until done, stirring occasionally, remove from heat.
4. While chicken is sautéing, cook couscous according to package directions, let cool.
5. Core and chop apples, place in large bowl; toss with 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
6. Chop fennel bulb (discarding stem and fronds) and add to bowl.
7. In a small bowl, whisk remaining oil and lemon juice with balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper.
8. Add chicken, couscous, spinach, and nuts to bowl with apples and fennel.
9. Drizzle with dressing, toss to coat, and serve.
10. Can be made several hours ahead and refrigerated.

Notes

Weekly Menu Planning Tip : When you are planning a dinner with chicken, cook up extra chicken breast and refrigerate for later use with another recipe.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 435
• Protein: 23.7 g
• Carbohydrates: 49.2 g
• Fat: 15.7 g
• Fiber: 6.1 g
• Sodium: 237 mg
• Saturated Fat: 2.4 g
• Sugar: 17.9 g
• Cholesterol: 56 mg