I’m in love with couscous salads that characteristic vibrant sunny taste profiles from the Mediterranean and Center East! These agency spherical grains (couscous is definitely a pasta) tossed with sunny greens and a lemony natural French dressing is simply so good. That includes cooked pearl or Israeli couscous, this recipe for Vegetable Couscous Salad with Za’atar is vibrant with shade, aroma, and style. Due to earthy tomatoes and chickpeas, crisp bell peppers, crunchy toasted pinenuts, pungent onions, fermented olives, fragrant mint, savory candy prunes, and a zesty lemony olive oil French dressing with za’atar, this salad completely shines with taste. To not point out vitamin! Plus, you will get this recipe finished in simply 20 minutes with simple elements you might have readily available proper now. Be at liberty to swap out the greens for a few of your favorites—strive sliced cucumbers, chopped parsley or basil, and inexperienced onions, for instance. You possibly can serve this salad at room temperature, or take pleasure in it as a chilly couscous salad recipe. Take pleasure in this dish, which is impressed by wealthy Center Jap and Mediterranean couscous salad recipe traditions, as a hearty entree salad for lunch or dinner (it’s fantastic for meal prep), and tote it alongside to picnics, events, and potlucks. This wholesome couscous salad recipe additionally holds up effectively within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
Vitamin Notes
This fully plant-based vegan couscous salad is wealthy in vitamins, together with plant proteins, fiber, wholesome fat, vitamin C, B nutritional vitamins, potassium, and phytochemicals. Couscous naturally incorporates gluten, however you may make this recipe gluten-free by utilizing gluten-free Israeli couscous.
What Is Couscous?
Couscous is a tiny spherical pasta produced from semolina, which is durum wheat. There are numerous sorts of couscous, together with Moroccan (the smallest), Israeli (or pearl, is bigger), and Lebanese (just like Israeli, however bigger). The dimensions dictates how lengthy the couscous takes to prepare dinner. Couscous is scrumptious as a easy facet dish with tagine or a vegetable curry, seasoned with herbs, nuts, and olive oil as a flavored facet dish, or utilized in recipes, together with salads, soups, and porridges.
What Is Za’atar?
Za’atar is a treasured culinary seasoning mix used continuously in Center Jap cooking. It usually options thyme, oregano, marjoram, cumin, coriander, sumac, and sesame seeds. You could find it in lots of well-stocked supermarkets or on-line. Or make it your self with my za’atar spice mix recipe right here.
Description
This tremendous simple, scrumptious, wholesome recipe for Vegetable Couscous Salad with Za’atar is vibrant with the sunny flavors of the Mediterranean and Center East. You may make this vegan salad gluten-free by utilizing gluten-free couscous.
Salad:
- 2 cups water
- 1 ½ cups Israeli or pearled couscous, dried
- ¼ cup pinenuts
- 1 massive tomato, sliced into skinny wedges
- 1 medium bell pepper (inexperienced, crimson, yellow, or orange), coarsely chopped
- ¼ medium white or crimson onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup coarsely chopped recent mint
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- ¼ cup kalamata olives, complete, rinsed and drained
- 1/3 cup sliced dried prunes
Lemon Za’atar French dressing:
- Put together couscous (based on bundle instructions, or the next directions). Pour water right into a small pot, cowl, and convey to a boil over excessive warmth. Add the couscous, scale back warmth to medium, cowl and prepare dinner for 10 minutes. Place in colander and rinse with cool water. Put aside to chill barely whereas getting ready remaining elements for salad.
- Preheat oven to broil setting. Place pinenuts in a small baking dish in high shelf of oven. Broil for 3-5 minutes, till golden brown. Watch out to not burn. Put aside.
- In a big mixing bowl, add sliced tomato, chopped bell pepper, sliced onion, chopped mint, chickpeas, olives, and prunes. Add cooked, cooled couscous and toasted pinenuts. Gently combine elements to mix.
- Make lemon za’atar French dressing by whisking collectively lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, za’atar, salt (optionally available), and black pepper in a small dish.
- Drizzle French dressing over salad, and gently combine elements to mix. Serve instantly, or chill till serving time.
- Makes 6 servings (about 1 ¼ cups every).
Notes
Couscous naturally incorporates gluten, however you may make this recipe gluten-free by utilizing gluten-free Israeli couscous.
You could find za’atar in lots of well-stocked supermarkets or on-line. Or make it your self with my za’atar spice mix recipe right here.
This wholesome couscous salad recipe additionally holds up effectively within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
- Prep Time: 12
- Cook dinner Time: 10
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