Usher Out Summer with a Refreshing Grilled Chicken Salad
Petrina Tinslay
Before summer takes its final bow, there are still plenty of opportunities to get the grill out and enjoy the warm weather before it turns chilly. This recipe for Jicama Tabbouleh and Chicken Salad is this week's Chopped Dinner Challenge. The chefs of Food Network Kitchen chose jicama as the basket ingredient, and in this recipe, it replaces the bulgur wheat typically used in a Middle Eastern tabbouleh. This root vegetable is often used in Latin American cuisine for adding crunchy texture to salsas, and it does just that in this tabbouleh. Pair it with paprika-rubbed grilled chicken to make a complete meal — the refreshing salad complements the chicken nicely. Jicama is available year-round in the supermarket, so you could easily make the tabbouleh anytime you're craving a fresh reminder of warmer months.
First, cut the jicama into chunks, and add them to a food processor. Pulse until finely ground and transfer to a bowl. In the same processor, pulse the parsley and mint until finely chopped. Transfer the herbs to the bowl with the jicama and add the tomatoes, cucumber and onion along with oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, then mix to combine.
Stir together oil, paprika, salt and pepper to create a rub for the chicken cutlets. Coat the chicken with the oil mixture. Preheat a grill to medium-high heat and grill the chicken for about 4 minutes in total. Serve it with the jicama tabbouleh.
Get the Recipe: Jicama Tabbouleh and Chicken Salad
The Chopped Dinner Challenge is a series of recipes showing you how easy it is to cook like a winning Chopped competitor. Every week, FN Dish will showcase a recipe created by Food Network Kitchen that uses at least one of the Chopped basket ingredients, plus basic grocery goods and simple staples. Consider it your very own Chopped challenge. Just take this frequent tip from the judges: Don’t forget to season!