Couscous Summer Salad

Mirj's Note:

Very Moroccan, very yummy, and not just for summer. Prep time includes time spent in the fridge.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs 10 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• ½ cup currant
• ¼ cup orange juice
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 1⁄3; cup canola oil
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄8; teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 cups water
• 1 ½ cups couscous
• 1 large carrot , diced
• 1 large red bell pepper , seeded and diced
• ½ small red onion , diced
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Place the currants, orange juice, lemon juice, 1/3 cup canola oil, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake well.
2. Set aside.
3. Bring the water and 1 Tbsp.
4. canola oil to a boil in a medium saucepan.
5. Stir in the couscous, then remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for about 6 minutes, or until the water is absorbed.
6. Transfer the couscous to a large bowl, fluff with a fork, and let cool.
7. Steam the carrot and bell pepper until they are a bright color, but still crunchy, about 3 minutes.
8. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and add to the couscous.
9. Add the onion and parsley and stir.
10. Shake the dressing again, pour it over the couscous mixture, and stir until well blended.
11. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
12. Serve cold.

Reviews

[June Lerch]

I took this Cous Cous salad to a large family gathering the very first time I made it. It was such a beautiful salad I put it in a glass bowl and received many "Ohhh, that's a beautiful salad, what is it ? " comments. When I mentioned that it was a 'cous cous salad', they took a small spoonful and tried it and immediately came back for more, then for more again...there wasn't any salad left to take home as I had hoped. Young children also came for seconds. This salad is very light and almost on the bland side of the scale but it was a delightful addition for the spicy BBQ foods which were in multitudes. The peppers and carrots were a nice crisp texture which contrasted nicely with the cous cous. The raisins added a very nice sweet surprise and the onions again were another wonderful contrast to the raisins. At first taste I thought, this salad needs something else, but believe me it did not. It was "just right" and I would not make any changes to this wonderful salad. I will make this salad regularly and it was put in my book of 'Favorites' the minute I got home from the BBQ. grammajune Lerch

[Ducky]

We enjoyed this salad with our dinner tonight. It was a nice, light addition to the meal. I liked that it is made ahead of time; cuts down on chaos during dinner prep. It makes a lot and will be more than 4 servings for us. I subbed raisins for the currants. This will definitely be made again during the summer.

[BurgundyS]

I loved this! I subbed raisins and olive oil and also added some chopped almonds. It made a ton (6-8 servings) and the flavor is really subtle and delicious. It's a perfect summer dinner. The only thing I'd do differently next time is chop the onion much finer!