Apple, Fennel & 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.
- Yield
- 4 Servings
- Serving size
- 1 serving
- Rating
- 3.85 of 5 (259 ratings)
Food groups
- Fruit: 1 cups
- Grains: 1 1/2 ounces
- Protein Foods: 2 1/2 ounces
- Vegetables: 1 cups
Ingredients
- 12 ounces boneless chicken breast (2-3 breasts)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- 1 cup whole wheat couscous
- 2 medium red apples
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (divided)
- 1 fennel bulb
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1/8 cup walnuts (chopped, may use pecans or almonds)
Directions
- Slice chicken breasts crosswise into 1/2 inch strips.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.
- Add chicken, cook 8-10 minutes until done, stirring occasionally, remove from heat.
- While chicken is sautéing, cook couscous according to package directions, let cool.
- Core and chop apples, place in large bowl; toss with 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
- Chop fennel bulb (discarding stem and fronds) and add to bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk remaining oil and lemon juice with balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Add chicken, couscous, spinach, and nuts to bowl with apples and fennel.
- Drizzle with dressing, toss to coat, and serve.
- Can be made several hours ahead and refrigerated.
Nutrition per serving
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Calories | 434.78 |
| Total Fat | 15.66 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2.43 g |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 8 g |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3 g |
| Linoleic Acid | 3 g |
| α-Linolenic Acid | 0.5 g |
| Omega 3 - EPA | 0 g |
| Omega 3 - DHA | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 56.3 mg |
| Carbohydrates | 49.16 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 6.13 g |
| Total Sugars | 17.91 g |
| Added Sugars included | 3 g |
| Protein | 23.67 g |
| Calcium | 66 mg |
| Potassium | 770 mg |
| Sodium | 237 mg |
| Copper | 0 mg |
| Iron | 2 mg |
| Magnesium | 67 mg |
| Phosphorus | 217 mg |
| Selenium | 49 mg |
| Zinc | 1 mg |
| Vitamin A | 98 mcg |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.7 mg |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.1 mcg |
| Vitamin C | 18 mg |
| Vitamin D | 0 mcg |
| Vitamin E | 4 mg |
| Vitamin K | 148 mcg |
| Folate | 66 mcg |
| Thiamin | 0.2 mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.3 mg |
| Niacin | 8 mg |
| Choline | 65 mg |
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. Serve with 8 ounce non-fat milk.
Recipes you may also like
- Vegetable Chili
- Blueberry Chicken Pasta Salad with Field Greens
- Potato Spinach Lasagna
- Brown Rice with Sizzling Chicken and Vegetables
- Pasta with Chickpeas, Tomato, and Spinach
- Chicken and Spanish Rice
- Peppers Stuffed with Rice and Beans
- Popcorn Treats
Source
Recipe by: Produce for Better Health Foundation
Published by: the U.S. Department of Agriculture (Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion / SNAP-Ed) on MyPlate Kitchen at https://www.myplate.gov/recipes/apple-fennel-chicken-salad-couscous. Federal works are public domain in the United States.
This edition: preserved and enhanced by MyPlate.food — cleaned and completed data, structured nutrition and food-group amounts, images remastered from the USDA originals, and translations into Spanish, French, Korean, and German. The original USDA recipe is public domain; this enhanced edition is free to cite and reuse with credit to MyPlate.food. Custom licensing: myplate.food/partners.