Israeli Couscous Salad

Sue and I came up with this recipe when we were trying to come up with a side dish for a luncheon.

We had just bought some Israeli couscous (and by "some", I mean A LOT....it was bulk...and really cheap...and it looked cool....) so we figured a salad somewhat similar to our Quinoa Salad yet different enough to not be mistaken for the same salad would be a good idea.

We went with some zucchini and Eastern style spices to change it up. We did keep the orange, yellow, and red peppers because...well.....they're pretty.

If you have never tried Israeli couscous I definitely recommend giving it a go. I'm not a fan of "regular" couscous because of the texture but LOVE the Israeli couscous. It is almost like barley in terms of texture, in my opinion.

Israeli Couscous Salad

Ingredients

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 cup zucchini, finely diced

2 cups Israeli couscous

1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely diced

1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2 cup orange bell pepper, finely chopped

1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

salt & pepper

Dressing

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp tumeric

2 tsp chili powder

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Place 1 tsp of oil in a medium sized pan. Heat pan over medium-high heat until oil is sizzling. Add zucchini and stir fry for only a minute or two until zucchini is just tender but still crisp. Remove from heat and empty into a bowl to cool while you prepare the couscous.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the couscous and cook until tender. Drain the couscous. Rinse it well under cold water, then drain again. Let cool to room temp, or set in fridge to chill for about 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice and spices. Gradually whisk in the oil. Set aside.

In a large bowl, gently toss together the cooled couscous, zucchini, peppers, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir in 1/2 of the dressing. Cover and chill for at least an hour. Just before serving stir in the remaining half of the dressing.

This salad can be made a day ahead and kept, covered, in the fridge. Just remember to add the remaining dressing just before serving. The couscous tends to soak up the dressing so if you add all of the dressing at once, before it chills, your salad will be dry.

I found the flavor and texture of this salad to be really unique and interesting. It makes a great side dish as well. You can even serve it warm if you want to.