Name: Turmeric Rice and Chicken Salad with Herbs
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 1 cup long-grain white or jasmine rice; ½ teaspoon table salt , plus salt for cooking rice; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 2 garlic cloves , minced; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1 teaspoon ground turmeric; ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper; Pinch ground cinnamon; 3 tablespoons lemon juice; 2 cups cooked chicken , chopped; 6 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes , halved; 2 Persian cucumber , quartered lengthwise and sliced crosswise ¼ inch thick; 3 radishes , trimmed, quartered, and sliced thin; 1 cup torn fresh cilantro leaves, dill, parsley, or mint; ½ cup recipe

Why This Recipe Works

We drew inspiration for this salad from chicken shawarma, a street-food favorite throughout the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. We used traditional shawarma seasonings—garlic, turmeric, paprika, cumin, and just a touch of cinnamon—to create a fragrant, flavorful dressing for rice and chicken. For fluffy, well-seasoned rice that didn't clump or get hard as it cooled, we boiled the grains in an abundance of salted water, as we do for pasta. Then we spread them on a baking sheet to cool without clumping. We mixed in crunchy sliced cucumbers and radishes and juicy tomatoes. Instead of lettuce, we added herbs—cilantro, parsley, mint, and dill all worked, the torn leaves adding intense bursts of freshness and flavor in every bite. A lemony-tart herbed yogurt drizzled over the finished salad added richness and pulled everything together.

Before You Begin

We like using Perfect Poached Chicken here, but any cooked chicken would work. Persian cucumbers (sometimes called “mini cucumbers”) are small, slim cucumbers similar to seedless cucumbers in flavor and texture; you can use 6 ounces of English cucumber if Persian cucumbers are not available.

Instructions

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add rice and 1½ teaspoons salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender but not soft, about 15 minutes. Drain rice; spread onto rimmed baking sheet; and let cool completely, about 15 minutes.

Microwave oil, garlic, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cayenne, and cinnamon in medium bowl until simmering and fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Let cool slightly, then whisk in lemon juice and salt.

Combine rice, dressing, chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, and cilantro in large bowl and toss gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with yogurt sauce.