Middle Eastern Chicken & Rice Salad with Tahini Dill Dressing
A key ingredient in many Middle Eastern salads, mint gives this recipe a wonderful freshness. Simply seasoned chicken bumps up the protein content, making this a filling main dish. Using leftover cooked rice speeds up dinner prep — just make extra the night before.
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Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/4 cup fresh dill
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp fresh mint
- 2 tbsp tahini paste
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- pinch ground black pepper
Salad
- 2 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- pinch ground black pepper
- 6 cups lightly packed baby spinach
- 1 cup diced red peppers
- 1 cup diced roasted red peppers
- 1 cup cooked and cooled brown rice (TIP: Use a frozen cooked brown rice, thawed.)
- 1/2 cup pitted green olives, halved
- 1/4 cup unsalted pine nuts, optional, toasted (TRY: NOW Real Food Raw Organic Pine Nuts)
- 6 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
Preparation
1. Make dressing: In a blender or food processor, blend together all dressing ingredients until smooth. Set aside.
2. Make salad: Preheat a grill to medium-high. Sprinkle chicken
with paprika, salt and pepper. Grill until no longer pink inside, about
5 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board.
3. In a large bowl, combine spinach, red peppers, rice, olives, pine nuts (if using) and dates. Slice chicken and add to bowl. Drizzle with dressing; toss to coat.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 1/6 of recipe
- Calories 299
- Carbohydrate Content 28 g
- Cholesterol Content 31 mg
- Fat Content 15 g
- Fiber Content 4 g
- Protein Content 14 g
- Saturated Fat Content 2 g
- Sodium Content 661 mg
- Sugar Content 14 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 10 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 3 g