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This delicious Green on Green Couscous Salad comes together quickly, is loaded with great healthy, fresh ingredients and has a burst of vibrant flavor with every bite.
So you're going to an end-of-summer or back-to-school potluck, you know there'll be an array of the typical high-fat, over-processed foods and you want to make a statement. That great nutrition can have fabulous flavor as well. Or maybe you've just overdone it lately on junk food. Perhaps you're trying to feed your family more healthy, without sacrificing deliciousness. You've come to the right place - for sure!! This Green on Green Couscous Salad makes a wonderful side dish for any type of meat, poultry or seafood, but can also be a meal on its own. Sound good?
If you're not familiar with couscous, you're going to be pleasantly surprised. Couscous is a fine-grained pasta and is a staple in the African countries of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. It's also a favorite in Sicily and France and has grown in popularity in recent years in the United States. On it's own, it can be fairly bland, but I like to think of it as a blank palette; a starch that can take on a myriad of flavors and personalities.
With the herb garden overflowing this time of the year, I snipped basil and parsley and threw together a pesto. Along with the summer herbs, I added cilantro, parmesan cheese, a handful of pistachios, fresh lemon juice and a splash of extra virgin olive oil. A whirl in the food processor produced a vibrantly green pesto that brought my plain, simple couscous to life.
- Ingredients for the salad:
- 1 ½ cups couscous
- 2 ¼ cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup fresh basil packed
- ½ cup fresh cilantro packed
- ¼ cup flat leaf parsley packed
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup pistachios
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 ears fresh corn kernels cut from cobs
- 1 cup frozen edamame cooked according to package directions
- ½ cup finely diced red onion
- 4 medium green spring onions finely sliced
- 2 cups baby arugula
- ¾ cup crumbled Feta cheese optional
- extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
- 2 tablespoon pistachios and lemon slices or wedges for garnish
-
Place couscous in a large bowl. Bring broth to a boil on stove top or in microwave. Pour hot broth over couscous and stir to combine. Immediately cover couscous tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside for 10 minutes, then uncover and fluff with a fork. Cover again with plastic wrap and set aside till ready to use.
-
While couscous is resting, combine basil, cilantro, parsley, garlic, pistachios and Parmesan in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 2-3 minutes or until everything is finely minced. Add olive oil, lemon juice and water and mix again until well combined. If mixture is still quite thick, add another 1-2 tablespoons of water.
-
Add pesto to bowl with couscous. Stir well to combine and incorporate all of the pesto. Add corn, edamame, red onion, green onion and arugula*. Str gently to combine. Place on individual plates or on a large serving platter. Scatter pistachios over the top. Drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with Feta, if desired. Serve with lemon slices or wedges.
* I like to reserve a bit of each of these to scatter on top, just before serving.
Irina @ wandercrush says
So much gorgeous green! Hahah I feel a spring in my step just from looking at the photos.
Sarah | The Sugar Hit says
This looks fantastic! And in my experience, dishes like this always go SO QUICKLY at potlucks, because everyone's trying to balance out their meal! Gorgeous.
Kitchen Riffs says
Love the recipe and the name! Really a great way to use seasonal veggies and greens. Very nice - thanks so much.
Cathy says
The instant I saw the picture I thought pesto!! I think I can easily cut this in half for my hubby and I to try. (I sent you an email the other day through regular channels...not sure if you got it.)
Chris Scheuer says
I don't think I got it Cathy.
Georgia | The Comfort of Cooking says
Such a gorgeously green couscous salad, Chris! I want to scoop a big spoonful onto my plate and into my belly!
Sandra Lee says
It is high time I jumped on board the couscous bandwagon. I am also sharing this with my daughter because she will love it!
Lenia says
Oh my God!Sheer beauty,absolutely delicious!This is my kind of salad!
Kisses,dear!
Kim G. says
Love this salad, it looks so fresh and refreshing!
Todd @ HonestlyYUM says
I'm doing an elimination diet for food allergies at the moment and this is exactly what I need right now!! Thanks 🙂
Gloria Baker says
Love this salad Chris and I love couscous!xo
Ginny says
Couscous is rather odd to me and I have never made it taste very god. This would do the trick!
Ms Lemon of Make Mine Lemon says
What a great dish. Love your photos as always.
Sophia Del Gigante says
O M G this sounds sooooo good! I am pinning! Gorgeous as always!!
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says
This looks great and I love all the greens happening here! Plus I love that you used edamame beans which I'm about to pick next week! Woo Woo!
Hovkonditorn says
I love couscous and the color in your salad is beautiful.
bellini says
This is a salad that I simply must try Chris. It is so packed with flavour with the added bonus that it is good for you.
Angie Schneider says
Looks fabulous! Love all the greens you have put in this gorgeous salad.
Vicki Bensinger says
Wow lots of healthy ingredients in this dish. Couscous is such a wonderful grain and can easily be doctored up like you did to go with any meal. This sounds very tasty.
La Table De Nana says
Green..so fresh..and it certainly puts our nice herbs to good use Chris..
I'm a fan of couscous...
twodogsinthekitchen says
The green on green makes for a beautiful presentation, not that your presentations are ever lacking! I bet this is wonderful, I can almost taste it as I type 🙂
The Mom Chef says
Ahhh, so the pesto gives it that vibrant hue. I was wondering about that. 🙂 It's gorgeous. I'm not fond of couscous on its own either, but in a salad like what you made, I think I could devour the whole bowl in one sitting.
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert says
I love the color of this salad. I've not had much experience with couscous but I want to! Love pesto, arugula, corn - all of it. Good one Chris!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
I love couscous, what a pretty and nutritions salad!
Denise Browning@From Brazil To You says
Colorful, healthy, pretty...I love everything about this couscous pesto salad, Chris!
Lynn@Happier Than a Pig in Mud says
Sounds great, I love the cilantro in the pesto:@)