TABBOULEH WITH CHICKEN AND PINEAPPLE

1 cup quick-cooking whole-grain bulgur

1 cup boiling water

½ pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tablespoon almond oil

8 ounces diced fresh pineapple

5 scallions, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce (regular or reduced-sodium)

1. Dump the bulgur into a large heatproof bowl; pour the boiling water over the wheat. Stir, cover with a plate, and set aside for 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, heat a large grill pan over medium heat or prepare the grill for direct, high-heat cooking. Rub the chicken breasts with the oil. Grill them on the pan or over direct heat on the grill until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the middle of a breast registers 160°F, about 8 minutes, turning once after 4 minutes.

3. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, wait a couple minutes to let the juices slip back among the muscle fibers, and slice the breasts lengthwise into long, thin strips. Place them in a serving bowl.

4. Fluff the bulgur with a fork, then dump the grains into the bowl. Add the remaining ingredients: the pineapple, scallions, lime juice, vinegar, and soy sauce. Toss well.

SERVES 4

Active time: 20 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Make ahead: Store, covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days. If the bulgur clumps, stir in a little more oil or reduced-sodium chicken broth to loosen it up.

MAKE IT EASIER!

• Look for peeled and cored pineapple cubes in the refrigerator case of your supermarket’s produce section. Dice these into smaller, more manageable bits so the salad can be eaten at the table or your desk with a spoon or a fork, no knife in sight.

GRAIN SWAPS

• Substitute 2½ cups cooked quinoa for the bulgur and omit soaking and cooking the raw grains.

TESTERS’ NOTES

• We almost called this a “Polynesian Salad,” because, well, you can take the boys out of the ’70s but you can’t take the ’70s out of the boys. Still, it’s a nice way to gussy up a standard tabbouleh with the flavors of the old Trader Vic’s.
• Rice vinegar comes in two forms: seasoned and unseasoned. Basically, seasoned means sweetened and salted. Check the labeling on your bottle to see which you have. A perfect pantry has both; a good pantry, just unseasoned. You can always add ¼ teaspoon sugar per tablespoon of vinegar to bring some sweetness to a dish that calls for “seasoned rice vinegar.”