Try adding this delicious and nutritious salad to your side menu for Thanksgiving this year. It’s easy to make – and any leftover salad tastes even better the next day, so it’s the perfect snack to refuel with after your Black Friday shopping! Tip – serve leftovers over a bed of spinach or salad greens for a lighter salad that’s perfect for lunch.
Ingredients:
- ½ pound small grape tomatoes, washed and halved or quartered (depending on size)
- 1 large English (or other seedless) cucumber, scrubbed and cut into thin slices (don’t peel)
- 1 yellow pepper, membranes removed and thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrot, scrubbed and cut into 1/3” dice
- 1 medium purple onion, diced and soaked in ice water for 15 minutes to remove the bite
- 2 ears of roasted corn, kernels removed
- ¼ - ½ small head of cauliflower
- 1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced into ½” chunks
- 2 cups Israeli or pearl couscous
- 3 – 3.5 cups of chicken or vegetable stock (can substitute water)
- 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
- Crumbled feta cheese (optional)
Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup of good quality extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large lemon, juiced and zested
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
Directions:
- Make the vinaigrette by whisking all ingredients together until well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- In a large pot, heat 3 cups of stock to boiling. Add 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and reduce heat to a simmer.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet or frying pan, heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Add couscous and stir to coat each grain with olive oil, then sauté (stirring constantly) until toasted and lightly golden brown. Add the couscous to the simmering stock and bring to boil, then immediately remove the pain from heat. Cover and let sit 10 minutes, or until the liquid is all absorbed. Fluff the couscous with a fork, then add in the vegetables and toss lightly to combine. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss again. If desired, sprinkle with feta cheese and serve.
This article appeared in the November 2024 edition of the HealthPerks newsletter.
