Tabbouleh Salad + Spiced Chicken

One of the wildest things about living in a country that uses a different language, alphabet, and typically lacks cell service in the grocery store was trying to find ingredients in the market! A few years ago I would stand in the aisles trying to figure out what each thing was. I grabbed this cracked wheat assuming correctly and that I could use similar to bulgur or wheatberries.

My pantry is full of fun boxes and bags of stuff we’ve brought in from other countries - spices from a shop the hotel chef took us to in Egypt, dried coriander that came from a witch in the mountains before the Black Sea in Türkiye, this phenomenal store-brand version of an indian spice mix from South Africa, and more. Every time I cook, it’s an adventure down memory lane!

I made this tabbouleh using coarse cracked wheat (πλιγούρι here in Greece), lots of parsley, cucumber, tomato, lemon, and olive oil. The chicken was simple too. I sliced the breasts horizontally so they cooked quickly and evenly, then seasoned them with salt, pepper, cumin, and a South African spice blend before pan searing them until golden.

Want it a little lighter? Use it on top of a larger salad with lettuce.

Want more substance? Add cooked chickpeas.

Pretty much no way to go wrong here and the tabbouleh packs great for picnics or lunch the next day.

serves 4

Ingredients

For the tabbouleh:

• 1 cup coarse cracked wheat (bulgur/pligouri)

• 1 1/2 cups water

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 large bunch parsley, finely chopped

• Small handful fresh mint, chopped

• small handful fresh dill, chopped

• 1 cucumber, diced

• 2 tomatoes, diced

• 3 scallions, sliced thin

• Juice of 1–2 lemons

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 3–4 tablespoons olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

Optional:

• Crumbled feta

• Chickpeas

• Additional spinach, lettuce, salad (I tossed with a quick yogurt-red wine vinegar-dijon vinaigrette)

• chopped walnuts, almonds or sunflower seeds

For the chicken:

• 2 chicken breasts

• Olive oil

• Salt and pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin

• 1–2 teaspoons spice blend (pinch cloves, pinch cinnamon, ½ tsp paprika, pinch cardamom, ½ tsp coriander, ½ tsp cumin)

Instructions

1. Cook the cracked wheat: Add the cracked wheat, water, and salt to a pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 10–15 minutes until tender. Let cool slightly on a plate, spread out.

2. Make the tabbouleh: In a large bowl combine the cooked cracked wheat, parsley, mint, dill, cucumber, tomatoes, and scallions. Add lemon juice, zest, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss well and let sit for 10–15 minutes so the flavors come together.

3. Prepare the chicken: Slice the chicken breasts horizontally into thinner cutlets. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, cumin, and the South African spice blend.

4. Cook the chicken: Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for about 4–5 minutes per side until golden and cooked through.

5. Serve: Pile the tabbouleh onto plates and top with sliced chicken. Finish with extra olive oil, lemon wedges, and crumbled feta if you have it.