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It's funny, to me, how certain memories are forever etched in the recesses of our minds, and the most unexpected little thing can transport us back to a specific moment in time. This delicious salad has done that for me, taking me back to my first glimpse of the Mediterranean Sea.
Years ago, I was traveling by train through the mountains in northern Italy, when suddenly, everything went pitch black. Bewildered for a moment, I quickly realized we'd entered a tunnel. The darkness seemed to go on forever, and just when I was beginning to think it would never end, there was a brilliant flash of light. We emerged from the tunnel and there, right in front of me, was an amazing spectacle; a dazzlingly, brilliant sea of turquoise. I gasped, not believing my eyes; crystal clear waters, sparkling and dancing in the warm summer sun, ringed by sandy white beaches and lovely verdant hillsides.
I find myself forever craving the wonderful flavors of that delightful, sun-drenched region of the world, so I decided to create a salad earlier this week and include my favorite Mediterranean ingredients. I pulled out tomatoes, a seedless cucumber, red onion, Kalamata olives, Feta and lots of fresh herbs. For a bit of heartiness (and because we LOVE pasta) I included some Israeli couscous.
With a simple throw-it-all-in-a-jar-and-shake dressing; fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar, a squirt of honey, garlic, sea salt and pepper, it was a fabulous summer meal. Perfect with any type of grilled entree, it also keeps well and we've been enjoying it these past few days for lunch.
Each time I taste it, I'm transported to another part of the world .......... where olive and lemon trees grow on hillsides, days are unendingly beautiful and unclouded and aqua-hued waters lap sun-bleached beaches. Want to go? Put together a bowl of this delicious Mediterranean Chopped Salad - I'll meet you there!
P.S. If you've never tried French Feta, you'll flip over it. It's super creamy, a bit less salty and well, let's just say, totally amazing. Well worth the effort of going out of the way for. If you have a Whole Foods nearby, you can usually find it there (at the cheese counter). I usually buy it at our local Middle Eastern market (cheaper). It will be more expensive than every day run-of-the-mill Feta, but oh-so-delicious!
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- Ingredients for the dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 medium clove garlic finely minced
- Ingredients for the salad:
- 5 cups water
- 1 cup Israeli Couscous
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon salt this seems like a lot, but very little will actually be absorbed into the pasta. Add it now to season the pasta as it cooks, giving deeper flavor.
- 2 ½ cups cherry or grape tomatoes halved or quartered
- 1 large seedless cucumber usually plastic-wrapped; about 1 pound, diced
- 1 medium red onion diced
- ½ cup Kalamata olives halved or quartered
- ¾ cup Feta cheese crumbled. We love French Feta, but any kind will do.
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil finely chopped
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh oregano or parsley finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves don't worry about chopping these
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
-
For the dressing, combine all dressing ingredients in a glass jar and shake well to combine. Set aside.
-
Bring water to boil in a medium-size pot. Add couscous, olive oil and salt. Return to a boil. Reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 8-9 minutes or until al dente. Drain well and rinse with cool water. Transfer to a medium size bowl.
-
Add tomatoes, cucumber and red onion to the bowl with the couscous and stir to combine. Drizzle about half of the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Add the olives, Feta, fresh herbs, salt, and pepper. Stir gently. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for several days. Remove from refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving to bring to room temperature.
Hannah says
Time consuming but 100% worth it. Best salad I have ever tried and the only salad my son likes! Family favourite!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Hannah! Glad you enjoyed it!
Julie Marshall says
This looks delicious. But the prep time says 3 hours and 17 minutes. Typo? How long is the prep time.
Thanks!
Julie Marshall
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Julie, some of the prep times are mixed up because of a recipe plugin I use. The prep time for this salad is around 45 minutes.
Lisa says
Looking forward to making this ! I have looked for various salad s from panzanella to caprese to bring something slight different to a Work picnic. This is a great merge of the ideas I was looking for! I might try Trader Joe’s Harvest Blend in lieu of the couscous.
Thanks
Chris Scheuer says
Hope you enjoy it Lisa. Great Ides with the TJ Harvest Blend! Let us know how it comes out.
Johanna Traynor says
I love this recipe. I've done it with grapes instead of olives for a lighter, more summery salad. Either way is delicious!
Chris Scheuer says
Grapes! Wow, great idea! Thanks, Johanna.
Heather Frost says
Excellent recipe, made it exactly as written and it was a huge hit! The only thing is that this website is SO full of ads, it's almost impossible to scroll up and down to refer to the pictures because the ads slow everything down so much - frustrating!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Heather,
I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment. Thanks for your kind words about the recipe.
I know the ads are frustrating and I wish we didn’t have to have any of them. I would be thrilled to have a website with no ads. But this is the way we pay for all the expense of running a website. We have cameras, computers, lighting, groceries and lots of other equipment that we have to keep up to date. It’s also the way we earn our living and it’s honestly, not a lot of money once you take out the expenses. It’s kind of like television though. I hate the ads but that’s the way the broadcast companies make their living and I understand that.
I apologize for the frustration and hope that you find lots of great recipes here at The Café!
Kind Regards,
Chris
Jennifer says
I never give 5 stars, but this salad is outstanding! I think the fresh herbs are the key! Simply delicious!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much Jennifer! Oh my goodness, I forgot about this wonderful salad. Now you've got me craving it! 🙂
vivian says
This was a lovely part of a warm weather dinner and thankfully made enough to have leftovers for lunch. I did a couple of things differently from the recipe. I toasted the couscous in a little olive oil and cooked it in veggie broth. I also used mint instead of rosemary. Otherwise, I stayed true to the recipe and it came out wonderfully, as all your recipes do. Thanks for another keeper!