Couscous Chicken Salad

The couscous cooks in a little less liquid than normal, and the broth simmers instead of boils. That allows the couscous to absorb the seasonings while it chills overnight and maintain a fluffy texture.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  cups  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 12  ounces  skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1  (10-ounce) package couscous
• 1  cup  chopped fresh basil
• 1/4  cup  extravirgin olive oil
• 3  tablespoons  sherry vinegar
• 3/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2  cups  halved cherry tomatoes
• 1  cup  sliced green onions
• 1  (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

Preparation

Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add chicken; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken using a slotted spoon; set aside. Cool slightly, and coarsely chop.

While chicken cools, add couscous to broth; stir well. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Place couscous in a large bowl; cool completely. Fluff with a fork. Stir in basil and next 5 ingredients (basil through garlic). Add chopped chicken, tomatoes, onions, and chickpeas; toss gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

322 (23% from fat)

Fat:

8.1g (sat 1.1g,mono 5.3g,poly 1g)

Protein:

18.5g

Carbohydrate:

42.8g

Fiber:

4.9g

Cholesterol:

25mg

Iron:

1.9mg

Sodium:

502mg

Calcium:

42mg