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Perfectly Poached Chicken Breasts, with Herb and Vegetable Rice

Coming out of the Holiday season, I am trying to lose a few of the pesky extra pounds that seem to have made my body their new home.
This chicken breast recipe includes no added cooking fat, where the chicken breasts are salted lightly and then poached in sub-simmering water until cooked. This water is subsequently used to cook the rice.
The rice component of this recipe reminds me a bit of Tabouleh, and is packed full of a combination of fresh parsley, dill, cilantro, basil, mint, and chives. If you don’t have all of these herbs available, you can just use a fraction of them!
Once the rice is steamed and fully cooked, add some freshly chopped tomatoes, red and yellow bell peppers, along with some diced jalapeno, red onions, and fresh herbs and lime juice.
Try serving the rice with a side of prepared hummus, a scoop of Greek yogurt, and a sprinkling of crumbled Feta cheese!
It's really healthy, and also delicious and packed with bright, fresh flavors. The following recipe serves 4 people.

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
  • 2-3 cups water (or enough to cover the chicken)
  • 1 cup basmati rice (rinsed and drained)
  • ½ red onion (cut small dice)
  • 3 ripe tomatoes (cut into bite-sized pieces)
  • ½ red bell pepper (cut small dice)
  • ½ yellow bell pepper (cut small dice)
  • 1 fresh jalapeno pepper (flesh finely minced)
  • Zest of 2 limes
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • ¼ cup fresh dill (finely chopped)
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro (finely chopped)
  • ¼ cup fresh chives (finely chopped)
  • 10 fresh mint leaves (finely chopped)
  • 1 cup of Greek yogurt (for serving)
  • 1 cup of prepared hummus (for serving)
  • ½ cup of Feta cheese (crumbled, for serving)
  • Extra lime (for serving)

Instructions 

  • Salt the chicken breasts, and place them in a small soup pot, with enough cold water to cover them.
  • Increase the heat to medium, and wait until the water temperature reads 175˚F.
  • Reduce the heat to low, and adjust the heat carefully to maintain a consistent water temperature between 170˚F and 180˚F.
  • While your chicken breasts are gently poaching, rinse and drain your basmati rice until cold running water for three minutes.
  • Set the drained rice aside for later.
  • Continue cooking the chicken breasts slowly in the hot water until they reach an internal temperature of roughly 163-165˚F.
  • When the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 163-165˚F, carefully remove them from the liquid.
  • Reserve 1.5 cups of cooking liquid, which you will use to cook the rice.
  • Bring the 1.5 cups of liquid you reserved to a simmer, and add the drained rice.
  • When the rice and liquid begin to simmer again, add a tight-fitting lid, and reduce the heat to low.
  • Cook the rice covered with a lid for 16 minutes.
  • While the rice is cooking, prepare your chopped vegetables and herbs.
  • When the rice is cooked, remove the lid, and transfer the rice to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
  • Gently mix the cooked rice with the diced red onion, tomatoes, red and yellow bell peppers, minced jalapeno, lime zest, lime juice, and fresh herbs.
  • Mix to combine all the ingredients well.
  • Slice your cooked chicken breast from earlier.
  • Serve the herb and vegetable rice in bowls, topped with some sliced chicken, Greek yogurt, prepared hummus, and a sprinkling of crumbled Feta cheese.
  • Serve with extra limes on the side.

Notes

You can eat any leftover chicken on top of a salad for lunch or dinner. The rice is best when eaten fresh.
I would normally add some extra virgin olive oil to the rice here—I was trying to keep this recipe low in added fat. But olive oil would be nice here.