Couscous Salad with Vegetables
Couscous Salad with Vegetables is a quick, tasty and healthy side dish or main course, ideal for a week night meal.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
Couscous
- 250 ml boiling water (or bouillon)
- 360 g dried couscous (organic whole wheat preferably)
Vegetables
- 375 g chopped vegetables (carrots, onion, zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers)
- 1 tsp dried herbs and/or spices (or more) See note below
- 90 g dried fruit (raisins, apricots, cranberries) optional
- 60 g nuts (pine nuts, almonds, walnuts) optional
- 60 g sliced or pitted olives optional
- 90 g feta cheese or other strong-flavored cheese (optional)
Vinaigrette
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard or more if you like
- 6 tbsp vinegar of your choice, but red wine and balsamic vinegar work well.
- 6 tbsp olive oil or 1/3 nut oil (such as walnut or pistachio) and 2/3 olive oil.
- salt and pepper according to taste
Instructions
- Boil the water and pour it into a bowl. Add the dried couscous and mix quickly with a fork. Cover the bowl with a plate or plastic wrap. Let sit for 10 minutes until all the water is absorbed.
- During the waiting time, chop the vegetables finely. Add the dried fruit and nuts if you are using them.
- Prepare the vinaigrette by mixing the ingredients listed above. This list is a suggestion. Feel free to make your own vinaigrette or use a store-bought one if you prefer.
- Uncover the couscous, fluff gently with a fork, almost as if you were adding a whipped egg white to a cake batter. Bring the fork up and bring air into the couscous so that it cools off.
- Once the couscous has cooled off a little, add the vegetables, the dried fruit and nuts (if you are using) and the vinaigrette. There's no need to wait until the couscous cools off completely before you mix, however, be more gentle if it is still warm.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
You can add the salt and herbs along with the couscous when you add the boiling water at the start or when you make the vinaigrette at the end. I usually add it all at the end so I can adjust the flavors easiest. However, when you add the herbs at the start it adheres to the couscous and sometimes changes the color of the dish.
If you use bouillon instead of water, adjust your seasonings accordingly.
The nutritional facts below do not take into account any of the optional items.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Couscous Salad with Vegetables
Amount Per Serving
Calories 647
Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value*
Fat 23g35%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 16g
Sodium 104mg5%
Potassium 206mg6%
Carbohydrates 92g31%
Fiber 6g25%
Sugar 0.02g0%
Protein 15g30%
Vitamin A 0IU0%
Vitamin C 0mg0%
Calcium 0mg0%
Iron 0mg0%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.