Couscous SaladQuinoa Salad

To be honest, it doesn't need to be couscous.  It could be rice (short grain works best), bulgur wheat, barley, quinoa (pictured here) or just about any cooked whole grain.  Even orzo would work beautifully. Perfect for spring, summer, picnics, potlucks, tailgates, vegetarians, vegans, and as a fresh vegetable vector!

Serves 4 - 6
Total prep and cooking time: 30 minutes    (longer for rice, barley or quinoa)

1 cup medium couscous

1 1/4 cups boiling water

Juice of a lemon (or two)

zest of a lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 - 1 cup parsley or cilantro, finely chopped

salt, to taste

2 - 4 cups finely chopped raw vegetables, such as: cucumber (de-seeded), bell pepper, green onion, red onion, celery, tomato (de-seeded), zucchini, fennel bulb, radish - anything with a freshness or crunch that is not too hard (carrots aren't at their best, here).

Optional: 1/2 cup crumbled feta

Optional: 1 teaspoon sumac or cumin

Bring the water to a boil in a medium-sized cooking pot.  Turn off the heat. Add a small pinch of salt, a squirt of the lemon juice, and the couscous.  Give a quick stir with a fork, and close the lid.  Let the couscous sit and steam, off the heat, for about 10 to 15 minutes.  Remove lid, and fluff with a fork - the best way, is to drag the tines lightly over the surface, digging down a little further with each pass, until all of the grains are fluffed up.

While the couscous (or other grain/pasta) is steaming, finely chop the rest of the vegetables, placing them in a large bowl with the lemon zest.  Chop the herbs, and set aside. When the couscous is ready, stir in a tablespoon of the olive oil and the rest of the lemon juice, and add to the chopped vegetables.  Stir gently to incorporate everything thoroughly.  Allow a few minutes to cool, or refrigerate until completely cold, depending on how soon you plan to eat it.  Add the other tablespoon of olive oil, the herbs and spices, and taste for salt - it will probably need a little more.  If using the feta cheese, crumble it in just before serving, but remember that it does add a little salt to the dish, overall.

Refrigerates very well for a day or two, as needed, and packs beautifully for lunches. 

 

PSSST!

Not sure how to cook quinoa?  This works for me: rinse the quinoa very well in cold water, drain thoroughly, then cook as if it were white rice. I use my Tiger brand rice cooker on the "quick" setting for plain rice. and the same ratio of grain-to-water that I use for basmati rice