I wanted to serve a mix of cold and warm side dishes with last night’s Roast Lamb Shoulder, and one interesting cold dish I found online was this couscous salad. I loved the contrasting textures of the ingredients, and the feta provided lovely bursts of flavour. A surprise hit, and definitely a keeper.
Based on the recipe by the Kitchn.
Couscous Salad with Cucumber, Red Onions and Herbs
Ingredients
- 1 cup couscous
- 1 1/4 cups boiling water
- 1 cup loosely packed cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 cup loosely packed celery leaf, finely chopped
- 1/2 cucumber, cut lengthwise and very thinly sliced
- 1/2 red onion, cut in half and very thinly sliced
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced, about 3 tablespoons
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (jintan putih)
- 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- 4 ounces feta cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Put the couscous in a large bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Cover with a lid or a plate and set aside for 5 minutes. Then remove the lid and fluff with a fork.
Toss the finely chopped herbs with the couscous, as well as the sliced cucumber, onion, and lemon zest.
Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, honey, chili powder, and cumin, then toss this dressing with the couscous. Stir in the pine nuts. Crumble the feta and stir that in as well. Taste and season generously with salt and pepper.
Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve. Store leftovers in a covered container for up to 5 days.