Couscous & Chicken Salad

 Ingredients

Salad:

• 1 1/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (5.7-ounce) box uncooked whole wheat couscous
• 1 1/2 cups cubed grilled chicken (about 6 ounces)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup diced yellow bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts, toasted

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Preparation

• To prepare salad, bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually stir in couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Spoon couscous into a large bowl; cool slightly. Add chicken, onions, bell pepper, cucumber, cilantro, and nuts; toss gently to combine.
• To prepare dressing, combine vinegar and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss to combine.
• Note: You can toast nuts quickly in a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Stir frequently, and as soon as they become fragrant, remove the nuts from the pan.

Natalie's note:  I adapted this recipe from an original found at Cookinglight.com.  I wanted lots of flavor for the grilled chicken, so I made an extra, double-sized batch of the dressing the night before and marinated the raw chicken breast tenders 24 hours previous to making the meal.