Starting today I am officially on a salad cleanse. It might only last a day or two, since I’m complete rubbish at any form of dieting/self-control when it comes to food, but still. Today I am on a salad cleanse.
Why? Well this weekend I took a little road trip down to Portland and ate the equivalent of my body mass in amazing food. I have no regrets, obviously, because what’s the point of going down to Portland if you’re not going to enjoy the cuisine, but there’s really only so much beer/donuts/sandwiches/pizza I can eat before I have to physically roll myself out of bed in the morning. Turns out even I have a limit (although I could get used to a eating Blue Star donut for breakfast every day…If you’re ever in Portland and want your tastebuds rocked off, you MUST go there.)
So today I’m going to apologize to my insides by making this incredibly fresh, surprisingly satisfying salad. Couscous with crispy cucumber, juicy tomatoes, salty kalamata olives and feta, crunchy walnuts and fresh mint, mixed with a lemony-dijon vinaigrette. Trust me, it’s delicious. I had hesitations adding the mint, but I’m quite glad I did since it gives such a delightful burst of freshness. This would be great as a main or a side, or topped with grilled chicken!
| Mediterranean Couscous Salad with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette | | Print |
- Vinaigrette:
- 2.5 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1.5 tsp grainy Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- .
- Salad:
- 2 cups couscous
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup kalamata olives, pitted
- 1 cup cucumber, diced
- 200g feta
- 2 tsp mint
- 1 cup walnuts
- Make the vinaigrette: Mix together the lemon juice, honey, Dijon, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in the olive oil until well combined. Set aside.
- Make the couscous: In a small pot, boil 2 cups of water with olive oil. When water starts to boil, remove pot from heat and stir in couscous. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Prep veggies: halve the tomatoes, dice the cucumber, finely the chop mint.
- Fluff couscous with a fork and stir in the vinaigrette, mixing thoroughly. Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Serve warm or cold.
This was really tasty. I added roasted peppers and sun dried tomatoes for an extra punch. Far too much couscous though, had to make more dressing to take out some of the dryness. It’s all experimental though isn’t it, til you get the balance you like. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for the feedback, Chris! I’m glad you liked it! It’s a summertime staple in my house.