What’s Cooking in my kitchen this week…couscous salad. I enjoy trying new recipes. I feel like during the summer we are all on the hunt for new salad recipes. When I ran across this one, I knew I needed to give it a try. I have to be honest though…I did make a few changes.
Couscous Salad
Ingredients:
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes (half for roasting, half raw)
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 1 box Near East Pearled Couscous Mix – Roasted Garlic & Olive Oil
- 1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice, more if desired
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Leaves from 6 sprigs fresh thyme, more for garnish
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, more for garnish
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- Sea salt and ground black pepper
Note: Recipe is from here but as I mentioned I made a few changes. I’m not a fan of cucumbers so I left those out. I also decreased the number of tomatoes. I also decided to use a box of couscous. I’ve cooked with plain couscous before and while it’s good I love the taste of the ones with the extra seasoning.
Directions:
- Roast the cherry tomatoes (this step can be made in advance). Preheat the over to 300F. Slice 1 1/2 cups of the cherry tomatoes in half, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place cut side up on a baking sheet. Roast 45 to 60 minutes (the time will depend on the size and juiciness of the tomatoes), or until shriveled and browned around the edges. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Cook the couscous according to the box and set aside.
- Increase the oven heat to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (Or the great silicone baking sheet I share here.) Place the chickpeas on the baking sheet and toss with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast 20 minutes, or until crispy. Remove from the oven and toss with the smoked paprika.
- In the bottom of a large bowl, combine 1 Tbsp of olive oil, the lemon juice, garlic, thyme, 1/4 tsp salt, and black pepper. Add the cooled couscous and toss. Slice the remaining raw cherry tomatoes in half and add them to the bowl with the roasted tomatoes, the chickpeas, basil, and feta. Top with more fresh herbs and a generous drizzle of olive oil.
This is definitely a recipe that I’ll make it again. It turned out really good. It’s just so fresh tasting. Perfect salad for a Summer picnic. And it’s even better the second day!
What’s your favorite summer salad?
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