To say that I am completely obsessed with this warm couscous salad with chicken, bacon and green beans would be a MAJOR understatement! This fusion of flavors and the bright colors of this dish are irresistible! I literally have to put it away after I make it because I will not stop eating it. My mouth is watering just writing this. I have made this several times for dinner at home and I have taken it to several parties. It is ALWAYS one of the first things to disappear and people beg for the recipe! So, lucky for you, I am going to share it with you here and I can almost guarantee it will become one of your favorites as well!
First you will prepare one cup of Israeli couscous according to the directions on the package then set aside in a large bowl.
Brown 1/2 lb of chopped up bacon. Once cooked, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Drain half of the grease, but be sure to reserve it for later use.
Chop 2 chicken breasts into bite sized pieces, season with salt and pepper and cook until browned in the bacon grease. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add about 2 tbs of the reserved bacon grease back to the pan, then add 1 lb of fresh green beans, chopped up into small pieces. Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add 5-6 minced garlic cloves and cook for about 2 more minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
For the dressing, mix together 1/4 cup olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 2 tsp of dijon mustard and salt and pepper.
Add the bacon, chicken and green beans in with the couscous and pour the dressing over the top.
Add 1/3 cup of fresh shaved parmesan.
Mix it all together really well, serve warm and enjoy!
Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Israeli couscous
- 1/2 lb bacon, plus the grease
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 lb fresh green beans, chopped into small pieces. (See picture above for reference)
- Salt and Pepper
- 5-6 minced garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup shaved parmesan cheese
Directions:
- Prepare 1 cup of Israeli Couscous according to the package directions and set aside in a large bowl.
- In a skillet over medium heat, brown the bacon, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Drain half the grease but reserve it for later use.
- Cut 2 chicken breasts into bite sized pieces. Season with salt and pepper and cook in the same skillet with the bacon grease. Once fully cooked, remove and set aside.
- Add about 2 tbs of the reserved bacon grease back into the skillet, then add the green beans. Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for about 2 more minutes. Remove from the heat.
- For the dressing, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, dijon mustard and salt and pepper. You can adjust the taste to your liking if needed.
- Add the chicken, bacon, and green beans to the bowl with the couscous. Pour the dressing over the top.
- Add the parmesan cheese and mix everything together really well.
- Serve warm and enjoy!