I have a lot of cookbooks. That doesn’t stop me from buying new ones, but it does make me hesitate at big all purpose cookbooks. I have plenty of those. I now tend to look for smaller, more specific cookbooks. However, that does not stop me from picking up the 1008 paged Gourmet Today: More than 1000 All-New Recipes for the Contemporary Kitchenat a garage sale! A pristine copy! I love when people obviously get cookbooks as gifts and they don’t cook and I get to grab them up!
As I browsed through the book, I realized that there is a lot I want to try. A lot. Since I have been carrying around a tiny smidgen of winter weight, I went with something light, this Chicken Salad with Tomatoes, Olives, and Green Beans filled the bill quite nicely. Just look at it – doesn’t it look like some fancy spa food!
This was so easy, perfect for a weeknight. It was even better the next day when the tomatoes had given up more of their juice and the topping was a little more dressing like. The key to this is try to get a little bit of everything in on one bite. The chicken by itself is not that exciting, but when you get a bit of the sweetness from the tomatoes and a tart bite from the olives, so good!
Chicken Salad with Tomatoes, Olives, and Green Beans
Ingredients
- 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves 1 ¾ lb total
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 5 cups water
- 1 ¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 thyme sprig
- ¾ lb haricots verts or other thin green beans trimmed
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lb tomatoes cut into ¼-inch dice (3 cups)
- ½ cup brine-cured green and black olives pitted and chopped (I just used kalamata because that’s what I had)
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves torn
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Sprinkle chicken all over with 1 tablespoon salt and let stand.
- While chicken is standing, bring water, broth, and thyme to a boil in a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot, then add beans and cook, uncovered, until crisp-tender, 3 to 6 minutes. Transfer beans with a slotted spoon to a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon oil and salt and pepper to taste.
- Add salted chicken to broth and cook at a bare simmer, uncovered, 6 minutes. Remove pot from heat and let stand, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes .
- Transfer chicken with tongs to a cutting board and cool, about 5 minutes.
- While chicken is cooling, stir together tomatoes, olives, oregano, pepper, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and 4 tablespoons oil in a bowl.
- Holding a knife at a 45-degree angle, cut chicken across the grain into 1-inch-thick slices.
- Divide green beans among 4 plates, then arrange sliced chicken over beans and top with tomato olive mixture.
Nutrition
You can also find this recipe online: Chicken Salad with Tomatoes, Olives, and Green Beans.
This will be my entry for Souper Sundays (Soup, Salad, or Sammie) hosted by Deb at Kahakai Kitchen.
kristy @ the wicked noodle says
Sweet find!! And great recipe to make from it - looks so healthy and filled with so much flavor!!
Lisa @ Low Carb Yum says
I love this simple take on chicken salad. I've been moving to basic healthy dishes and this recipe fits in perfectly with my eating plan.
Christie says
What a delicious and healthy dinner. I adore olives in anything. This is going to be a fabulous treat for me.
Faith (An Edible Mosaic) says
What a beautiful meal! It definitely does look like spa food. I'm the same way, I can never resist checking out cookbooks at a garage sale. 🙂
Carol Borchardt says
So pretty! All my favorite flavors and a wonderful dish to make this summer with our fresh tomatoes and green beans.
Deb in Hawaii says
I love simple but elegant recipes like this--especially when they are healthy and taste great. Thanks for sharing with Souper Sundays this week. 😉
grace says
that plate looks like it was delivered by a waiter in a classy restaurant--very nice, pam!
a good yarn says
A gorgeous summer dish!
shabby girl says
So healthy! I'll have to show this to Hubby! He'll be all over that!
Les says
I can never resist a beautiful new cookbook even though I have several that I never cooked from. As a matter of fact, I just gave my husband a list in case he needs to give my daughter some Mother's Day gift ideas. I'd much rather have new cookbooks than flowers! 🙂
Michelle says
It does look like fancy spa food. Just think--I could come home on my lunch hour to this chicken salad and feel pampered. Before I rotate a load of laundry. Ha!
Marjie says
I bought a cookbook for one of my daughters at the used book sale last weekend. She was delighted. I'm hoping to pass on the cookbook collecting tradition, a noble one indeed.
Sam @ My Carolina Kitchen says
What a lovely presentation Pam. I'm always on the lookout for more ways to serve chicken. I usually cook chicken breasts on the weekend to use in salads and sandwiches during the week and this recipe will come in very handy. Thanks!
Sam
Catherine says
Yum!
xo Catherine
Kalyn Denny says
I love getting used cookbooks! Score!
Joanne says
I've had that cookbook for a while now and it's great!! Definitely looks like one good healthy salad.