Heather says:
This recipe comes to Home-Ec 101 courtesy of my friend Ellen Adams, also known as RedHotDish. She is a wonderful lady I met through my volunteer work with Cooking With the Troops (yes, I will work that in, every stinking chance I get). You should have seen the look on Ellen’s face when she saw this, her logo on the NASDAQ building.
While I typically would enjoy this recipe for couscous salad as a summer side dish, it goes perfectly with the Mediterranean Turkey Recipe Butterball had me try earlier this fall. It’s a very pretty dish with bright colors and flavors that complement the light, citrus flavors more commonly associated with Mediterranean recipes than your traditional Thanksgiving fare. I thought I would share Ellen’s recipe for those looking to try something new this season.
: Mediterranean Couscous Salad
: Couscous with the tang of lemon, and cranberry, and a hint of mint
- 1 (10 oz) pkg. plain large pearl couscous
- 1 Cup dried cranberries
- ¾ Cup green onions, chopped
- ½ Cup mint, roughly chopped
- ¾ Cup sliced almonds, toasted
- 1/3 Cup lemon juice
- ¼ Cup olive oil
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
I told you it was pretty. To print the recipe, look for the PrintFriendly button at the bottom of the post. This will let you quickly get rid of unwanted images and text.
Directions
- Prepare the pearl couscous as directed on the package
- When the couscous is cooked, place it in a large salad bowl and use a fork to fluff
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate 30 minutes or until chilled completely throughout
- Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for approx 2-3 minutes
- When the couscous is chilled remove from the refrigerator and stir in the cranberries
- Add the onions, mint and almonds and toss to combine all the ingredients
- Place the lemon juice into a small mixing bowl, add the oil, paprika, salt and pepper and use a whisk to mix the ingredients together.
- Drizzle the dressing into the salad and toss to coat
- Cover and refrigerate 1 hour before serving
Enjoy!