Garden Couscous Salad: Printer Friendly Version
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Israeli couscous
- 4 cups water
- 1 onion end (You are saving them right? If not, cut off about 2 inches of the root end of an onion, peel and use that.)
- 2 parsley stems from the freezer (Also saving these, right? If not, toss a couple fresh stems of parsley into the pot.)
- 2 teaspoons Kosher or coarse sea salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 broccoli crown, cut into small florets (Chop up and save the stem in a freezer bag for your next batch of broccoli soup!)
- 1 cup black or Kalamata olives, sliced in half
- 4 ounces of feta cheese, crumbled or diced very small
- 1 medium sized zucchini, washed and diced
- 2 medium carrots, scrubbed and diced very small
- 2 dill pickles, diced
- 1/2 a sweet onion, peeled and diced very small
- 1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (or 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic)
- 3 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2-3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar, to taste
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, to taste
Heat 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan with a tight fitting lid. When the oil is hot, add the dry couscous and stir well to coat. Toast the couscous in the oil for about 1-2 minutes or just until a couple couscous grains begin to take on a light golden brown color but most of them remain pale. Carefully add the water all at once along with the onion end, parsley stems and 1 teaspoon of the Kosher salt. The water will boil up quickly and may spit a little, so be cautious. Add the lid and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes, until the couscous is cooked through, but not mushy. Pour the couscous into a fine mesh strainer and rinse with cold water.
Transfer the couscous into a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining 3 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, red wine vinegar, minced garlic (or granulated garlic) and minced onion to the couscous and toss to distribute evenly.
Add remaining ingredients and toss until evenly combined. This is best if covered tightly and refrigerated for an hour or more prior to serving, but it can be eaten immediately.
