CousCous Salad

About this Recipe

I started making this one day in the early years after we were out of college. We found couscous for something like $15 for a 10 lb bag and decided to give it a shot because it was so cheap! Over the years it's evolved and I've made it with so many different mix-ins. It's great to add just about anything: I've done finely chopped broccoli, spinach, garlic, sliced snow peas, asparagus, other types of cheese, other types of vinegar, and it's always great!

The recipe above is the one we've landed on as our favorite and while I still experiment occasionally, it always comes back to this!

Method

Prepare the couscous according to the directions and let cool slightly. Once done toss lightly with a splash of olive oil, to keep it from clumping.

While cooking the couscous, chop red pepper, red onion, and tomatoes.
You'll notice the quantities are variable above, I like to have roughly equal amounts of each, and volume wise about half veggies and half couscous in the final salad. I typically do a large dice and try to keep everything roughly the same size, but the tomatoes are a lot more variable.

For the tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise and then cut each half lengthwise again to give you 4 slices. Cut those 4 slices in half widthwise for 8 total. A sharp knife is your best friend here, and after the first cut make sure you're cutting from the fruit side rather than the skin side - it's a lot easier for the knife to work!

Roughly chop the parsley and set aside

In large bowl combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and whisk until roughly combined - the oil and vinegar won't fully mix at this point. If you want a more salad dressing like consistency, add a tsp of dijon mustard. You can't taste it but it acts as an emulsifier for the dressing. I've done it both ways and haven't noticed a difference but it's all about your preference!

Add the couscous to the bowl, then your veggies and toss until everything is evenly distributed and coated with the dressing. Finally, add the parsley and feta and give everything a quick toss. If you add the feta earlier, it will break down into smaller pieces as you toss the salad.