Tuscan-Style Couscous Salad

I have really started to enjoy eating couscous this summer. It is so easy to make and the flavor combinations are endless. This recipe is light and delicious, perfect for the dog days of summer. The only changes I made were to use slivered almonds instead of pine nuts ( I thought I had some, but did not), lightly cook the red onion when toasting the garlic (I don’t like raw onion) and I threw in some sun-dried tomatoes since I had them on hand.

Tuscan-Style Couscous Salad

• 1½ cups couscous
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 2 cups boiling water
• ½ cup pine nuts
• 1 (15-ounce) can small white beans such as navy or Great Northern, rinsed well and
  drained
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• ¾ cup shredded fresh basil
• 1 small red onion, slivered
• Dressing:
• 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• ⅓ cup lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Generous seasoning freshly ground pepper
• 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Place the couscous and turmeric in a large bowl and mix. Pour on the boiling water, stir, and immediately cover the bowl with a large plate. Let sit for 10 minutes. Remove the cover and fluff the couscous with a fork. Let cool.

Place the pine nuts and unpeeled garlic cloves in a small skillet and toast over medium heat, tossing often, until golden, about 5 minutes. Watch them carefully because they can easily burn. Let the pine nuts cool, then mix them into the couscous along with the beans, tomatoes, basil, and red onion.

Mince the garlic. Place the dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously. Pour over the couscous mixture and toss well. Let marinate at least 30 minutes before serving. Cover and chill if longer than 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

Source: The Way the Cookie Crumbles, who adapted it from Vegetarian Classics.

You may also like:

• Curried Couscous

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Tagged as: basil, couscous, tomatoes, white beans