Couscous Salad with Fresh Veggies
This light and refreshing salad is made of chewy couscous, roasted squashes, and colorfulfresh vegetables tossed in tangy balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
Servings: 4 - 6
Calories: 346kcal
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
- 2 cups of uncooked pearl/Israeli couscous
- 2 cups of vegetable broth
- 2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
- 2 summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 1 lemon
- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup of fresh parsley, chopped
- Lemon wedges garnish
- Crushed red pepper garnish
- Avocado Oil Classic Balsamic Vinaigrette
Instructions
- In a medium pot over medium-high heat, add one tablespoon of oil and the couscous. Cook for 2 minutes, constantly stirring to avoid burning. Add the vegetable broth, bring to a boil, cover, turn off the heat and let it sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.3 tablespoons of olive oil,, 2 cups of uncooked pearl/Israeli couscous, 2 cups of vegetable broth
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, add the red onion and juice of half a lemon. Mix well and set aside for 5 minutes.1 small red onion,, 1 lemon
- Add the zucchini and summer squash to a sheet pan, drizzle some oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix them on the sheet pan and then spread them.2 zucchini,, 2 summer squash,, 3 tablespoons of olive oil,
- Roast them for 10 to 15 minutes.
- To the bowl with the onion, add the bell pepper, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and parsley. Add ¼ cup of Brianna’s Balsamic Vinaigrette and mix well. Set aside while the squashes are in the oven.1 red bell pepper,, 1 cucumber,, 1 pint of cherry tomatoes,, ½ cup of fresh parsley,, Avocado Oil Classic Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Once the squashes are ready, carefully remove them from the oven and let them cool down. In the meantime, add the couscous to the bowl with the fresh veggies. Mix well and then add the squashes. Genly mix so the squashes don't get crushed.
- Serve cold or warm. Sprinkle more parsley, lemon wedges and more Brianna’s Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing on the side.Lemon wedges, Crushed red pepper, ½ cup of fresh parsley,
Notes
- When toasting the couscous, cook only until it turns into a nice golden color, and make sure to stir frequently. This enhances the natural flavor of the couscous with a nice smoky touch.
- Follow the package instructions when cooking the couscous. Different brands have different water-to-couscous ratios.
- Do not fluff the couscous right away after cooking. Let it sit undisturbed until all the liquid has been absorbed and the grains look fluffy and soft.
- When adding the roasted squashes to the rest of the salad, toss lightly so they do not fall apart.
Nutrition
Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 340mg | Potassium: 807mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1898IU | Vitamin C: 88mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 2mg
