Chicken Salad with Green Beans, Tahini- Lemon- Yogurt Dressing, and Cilantro

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Chicken Salad with Green Beans, Tahini- Lemon- Yogurt Dressing, and Cilantro

April 3, 2011 by DiningAndDishing

Happy Sunday!

Still enjoying a lovely weekend here in Cleveland. I’m collecting lots of pretty pics to share next week but I just thought I’d pop in now to share another Salad as a Meal recipe with you – Chicken Salad with Green Beans, Tahini- Lemon- Yogurt Dressing, and Cilantro. It was a good one!

4 SERVINGS
EQUIPMENT: A 5- QUART PASTA POT FITTED WITH A COLANDER.

3 tablespoons coarse sea salt
8 ounces green beans, trimmed at both ends and cut into 1- inch pieces
3 1/2 cups (about 1 pound) cubed cooked chicken (see page 197)
1 1/2 cups sliced celery (1/4- inch slices)
Tahini- Lemon- Yogurt Dressing and Dipping Sauce (page 332)
1/2 cup finely minced fresh cilantro or parsley leaves
Coarse, freshly ground black pepper

1. Prepare a large bowl of ice water.

2. Fill the pasta pot with 3 quarts of water and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the salt and the beans and blanch until crisp- tender, about 5 minutes. (Cooking time will vary according to the size and tenderness of the beans.) Immediately remove the colander from the water, letting the water drain from the beans. Plunge the beans into the ice water so they cool down as quickly as possible. (The beans will cool in 1 to 2 minutes. If you leave them longer, they will become soggy and begin to lose flavor.) Drain the beans and wrap them in a thick kitchen towel to dry. (Store the beans in the towel in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.)

3. In a large bowl, combine the beans, chicken, and celery. Toss to blend. Add just enough dressing to coat the ingredients lightly and evenly. Add the cilantro and toss again. Taste for seasoning. At serving time, season with pepper.

WINE SUGGESTION: This salad calls for a slightly exotic wine. I never tire of the unique, spicy flavors and aromas of Austria’s flagship white wine, Grüner Veltliner.

We enjoyed this salad for lunch today, with some crispy herb bread and butter. I loved the tahini-lemon-yogurt dressing. So freshly flavorful and definitely superior to the usual mayonnaise-dressed chicken salad! Next time I’d even add some grapes to the recipe – I think the sweetness of some fruit would go really well.

Aaron and I have just come from a day of shopping and are off for a nice supper out this evening – I’m cooked out! Promise to fill you in on all of the details soon – for now I’m trying to soak in every minute of the weekend .

See you then!

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Posted in Beth | 18 Comments

18 Responses

on April 3, 2011 at 6:15 PM | Reply Hillary Davis

Wow, that looks good!!!!!
on April 3, 2011 at 6:19 PM | Reply Erica

ow! Looks So yummy. Tahinni and lemon flavors go so well together!! Perfection. Can’t wait to see your weekend pics
on April 3, 2011 at 6:38 PM | Reply Allison @PickyEatingRD

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!! I am always a fan of tahini mixed with pretty much anything!
on April 3, 2011 at 7:37 PM | Reply balancejoyanddelicias

This salad sounds delicious, anything with tahini is going to be great!
on April 3, 2011 at 8:37 PM | Reply Autumn @ Good Eats Girl

Wow! This sounds amazing! And looks so pretty!
on April 3, 2011 at 9:24 PM | Reply Lisa @ Thrive Style

Oh my gosh—that looks amazing!!!!
on April 3, 2011 at 10:32 PM | Reply diabeticFoodie

Looks great. Love the idea of adding grapes!
on April 3, 2011 at 11:48 PM | Reply Chocolate-Coated Runner

This looks delicious! Glad that I just found your blog
-Michelle
on April 4, 2011 at 4:36 AM | Reply Jumanah @ Healthy Living in the Middle East

I want to make that salad now! Looks delicious! I love dressings with tahini- I’m sure I’m going to love this!
on April 4, 2011 at 8:34 AM | Reply Louisa

I much preferred the Greek yogurt/tahini combo over the traditional mayo. Loved this lunch!
on April 4, 2011 at 10:52 AM | Reply Christine @ Merf In Progress

Wow, that’s gorgeous. I need to pick up a new container of Tahini to make this.
on April 4, 2011 at 11:17 AM | Reply Sami

MM! I think I’m going to try this! I have some cucumber garlic tzatziki dip at home that I could thin and add a little lemon juice for the dressing, right?!

YUM!

xo.
on April 4, 2011 at 12:13 PM | Reply Heather

I love grapes in my chicken salad, too! Hope your weekend was nice here in C-Town!
on April 4, 2011 at 2:16 PM | Reply Roz

Hi Beth. Wow….that looks SOOOOO good. GREAT idea to put tahini in there!!!! Have a great week.
on April 4, 2011 at 7:56 PM | Reply Aaron

Yummm…. what a delish lunch this was!!! I can’t wait to create a vegetarian version of it… hehehe
on April 6, 2011 at 5:14 PM | Reply Week 3: Four Weeks of Salad as a Meal Challenge « The Secret Ingredient

[...] Beans, Tahini-Lemon-Yogurt Dressing, and Cilantro was prepared by two different women last week. Beth’s preparation made me think that this dish had the potential to become a staple at graduation parties and other [...]
on April 9, 2011 at 12:02 PM | Reply Tahini-Lemon-Yogurt Dressing and Dipping Sauce «

[...] few days ago I posted a recipe for chicken salad with green beans and tahini-lemon-yogurt-dressing. Several of you commented on the dressing – [...]
on April 13, 2011 at 10:28 AM | Reply Salad as a Meal Winds Down «

[...] Chicken Salad with Green Beans, Tahini- Lemon- Yogurt Dressing, and Cilantro [...]

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