Chinese Chicken & Plum Salad | Abel & Cole
Chinese Chicken & Plum Salad
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Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Sweet, juicy plums pair up with chicken warmed by a blend of spices - cinnamon, cloves, fennel, star anise and Szechuan peppercorns - in this fresh and zingy salad.
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550 kcal
(per portion)
Ingredients you'll need
  • 150g wholewheat couscous
  • 2 tsp China 5 spice
  • 1 cucumber
  • 2 spring onions
  • 1 lettuce
  • 300g plums
  • 1 lime
  • 250g chicken breast mini fillets
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • A handful of basil, leaves only
From your kitchen
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 200ml boiling water
  • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
You'll need
  • A couple of bowls
  • Frying pan with lid
Step by step this way
  • 1.

    Tip the couscous into a heatproof bowl. Add a pinch of China 5 spice and some salt. Mix together. Pour over just enough water to cover the grains by 1 cm. Cover with cling film or a plate and leave to steam cook.

  • 2.

    Halve the cucumber lengthways and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon. Discard the seeds. Chop the cucumber into small cubes. Finely slice the spring onions. Tear the lettuce.

  • 3.

    Halve the plums and scoop out the stone. Roughly chop them. Zest and juice the lime.

  • 4.

    Heat a frying pan. When hot, drizzle in 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the chicken breast fillets and cook for 8 mins till golden and cooked through. Remove from the pan and set on a plate.

  • 5.

    Keep the pan on the heat. Add the plums and cook for 2 mins. Pour in 200ml boiling water and bring to a bubble. Reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 5 mins, till the plums are soft.

  • 6.

    Pour in 2 tbsp honey and the lime juice. Sprinkle in 1 tsp China 5 spice. Stir. Add the chicken fillets with any resting juices back to the pan. Cover with the lid and cook for 5 mins.

  • 7.

    Lay the torn lettuce on a platter. Fold half the spring onions and all the cucumber into the steamed couscous. Add the lime zest and 1 tbsp olive oil and toss to combine.

  • 8.

    Scatter the couscous salad over the lettuce. Spoon over the chicken and the plum sauce. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and the remaining spring onions.

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