Israeli couscous is a small toasted pasta that makes a wonderful salad base. This recipe came about as a way to use all the vegetables coming out of my garden. I now use it to bring to BBQ's and potlucks. It is easy to transport and doesn't have a mayonnaise base, so you don't have to worry too much about the sun and heat affecting it.
I usually make the salad the day before the event and reserve some dressing to add to the salad right before I serve it (as it will soak up the dressing overnight and be dry unless you add more)!
Israeli Couscous Salad with Orange Muscat Vinaigrette
Serves 4 as a side dish and more at a potluck
- 1 cup Isreali Couscous
- 2 Tbl Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup Eggplant, sm dice
- 1/2 cup Broccoli, chopped (and/or zucchini, sm dice)
- 1/2 cup Sugar Snap Peas, thinly sliced
- 2 ea Garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup Kalamata Olives, quartered
- 1/2 cup Feta Cheese, crumbled
- 1 Recipe Orange Muscat Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add couscous. Cook until al dente (as with pasta). Once it is cooked, strain and cool under running water. Place in a bowl to await the rest of the ingredients.
2. While the couscous is cooking heat a fry pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, eggplant, broccoli, and sugar snap peas. Cook until vegetables are soft but still have a little crunch, then add garlic and cook for about 1 minute.
3. Take the vegetables off heat and add to cooling couscous. Add the olive and feta.
4. Pour about 1/2 the dressing over the couscous, mix everything together and taste, add as much of the dressing as you feel it needs. As I said above, reserve a little dressing to add right before serving it.
Orange Muscat Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup Orange Muscat Vinegar (It's a sweet vinegar that I get it at Trader Joe's, but if you can't find any then Rice Wine vinegar is a lovely alternative)
- 1 Tbl Lemon Juice (I would use 2 Tbl orange juice instead if I were using Rice Wine vinegar)
- 1 Tbl Dijon Mustard
- 1 ea Garlic Clove, minced
- 2 Tbl Fresh Basil, chiffonade
- 1 Tbl Red Onion, minced
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup Olive Oil
1. Put vinegar, lemon juice, dijon, garlic, red onion, basil, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together and then slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Taste and adjust oil and seasoning before using.
