Couscous Salad

With summer officially here, meals that require little time standing in front of a hot stove and more time outside enjoying the weather are a must. This recipe for Mediterranean couscous salad is one such recipe. It can be prepared ahead of time and left to chill, which makes it a great dish for a low maintenance meal. Couscous is really a great base for many different additions due to its versatility; you can serve it cold, room temperature, or hot. You can make an Italian variation by serving it with olive oil, parmesan, and chopped flat-leaf parsley or like I did, a Mediterranean blend that will be sure to please. 

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Ingredients

• 1 box couscous(I prefer Trader Joe's Israeli Couscous)
• 1 red bell pepper, either raw or roasted
  
• 1/2 red onion
  
• 1 cucumber
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup feta cheese
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
  
• 2 to 3 lemons
• 1 tomato (optional)

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The first step is to prepare your couscous according to the directions on the package. For mine it involved lightly browning the dry couscous in 2 tbsp olive oil then adding 1¾     cup of boiling water, bringing to a boil and then turning the burner down to medium for 12 minutes or until all water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let cool. 

Finely chop  bell pepper, red onion, cucumber, kalamata olives, and tomato.

Combine chopped vegetables and couscous. It is important that the couscous is cool as you do not want it to wilt the veggies. 

Add the olive oil and squeeze the two lemons while lightly tossing the salad. Taste and determine whether you need the other lemon. 

Crumble the feta into the salad and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve cool or at room temperature. Enjoy!

xo,
Madeline