Saturday, January 7, 2017

Couscous Salad

Couscous is a great salad with many options for preparation. I prefer pearl couscous for the robustness, but regular couscous is awesome either way. What makes couscous fun is that it can be simply made on it's own as a dish, or you can create a salad of multiple trimmings. The secret is the lemon/oil dressing. Choose ingredients that compliment this kind of dressing. (Pretty unlimited when you think about it. You could experiment and add roasted peppers and garlic.
1 box couscous (1cup)
1 cup chicken broth or water
3 freshly squeezed lemons or limes
3 tbsp. of olive oil (to your liking)
1/2 tsp of cumin
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup of red diced green, red pepper. (Or both)
Cracked Salt and Pepper


Optional Ingredients
Cilantro, Mint or Parsley
Black or Garbonzo Beans
Whole Kernel Corn

Most recipes call for the couscous to be made in Chicken Broth. I think water is just as good. Once you prepare the couscous, you have to set aside if you want to make a salad. Let it get to room temperature naturally or refrigerate for an hour to allow for a cool down.

Next, dice all the vegetables. Mix with the salad. I recommend adding the oil and vinegar first prior to adding the ingredients. The slippery nature of oil allows for the ingredients to added without clumping. Season to flavor, stir a few times. Add mint, cilantro or parsley and  let the ingredients settle and you have a great salad.